Kitten Caboodle
by d.g. and crew
Summary: Kagome gets a new kitten, and the whole Feudal gang has to deal with it. Oh, by the way, did I mention that it was possessed? Ch.17 up! Attack of the Clones! Er...Doppelgangers! Warning: Random x-overs and OOCness. InuKag SessOC MirSan TrunksRose
1. Kagome Finally Gets Smart

            Hey! I'm Erica, from d.g.'s crew, and I'm here with my first fic! It will be soooo funny! I hope. I'm the smart one out of the three of us. D.g. is the psychotic one of the group, though she writes really good stories, and Brat is, well, the sarcastic and bratty one. She writes well too. Check out their stories! D.g. has her first story up and it is called 'Welcome to My World', Brat hasn't written anything yet, but she'll get one up later today. Oh, I almost forgot the disclaimer!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. *in a sing-song voice* You can't sue, you can't sue me, na na na na na nah! **

Kitten ^^Caboodle

An Inuyasha Fic 

          Chapter 1:  Box and Whiskers Graph

            The day was cloudless and sunny, with a light, cool breeze running through the countryside, its soft touch causing the tips of trees to sway in rhythm with the almost silent whisper of its ethereal voice.  The sunflowers in a nearby field could be seen swaying to music only they could hear.  It was the perfect day. Correction: It could have been the perfect day.  Sadly, Fate had something else in store for that day.  Fate can be very cruel sometimes.  In this case, it was just plain evil.

            Or so Kagome thought as she stared blankly into her math book, trying to comprehend the confusing little symbols in it. Angrily, she glared daggers at the problem she was working on, willing it become more understandable, or, at the very least, less confusing. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work.  Sighing in defeat, she stuffed the horrible little book back into her oversized backpack, which was filled with all sorts of things that only a teenage girl would believe to be useful.  She stood up, stretching her muscles, which were sore after sitting for so long on the hard ground.  Wiping the dirt off her skirt, she looked around, and, spying Shippo, walked over to the sleeping kitsune.  

            "Shippo!" she whispered, trying to wake up the snoring fox-child, as he slept on, completely oblivious to the outside world. 

            "Shippo, come on you sleepyhead! I need you to do a favor for me!" she said teasingly, as she tousled the boy's reddish-brown hair.  Rolling over, his back to her, he mumbled something incomprehensible. 

            "Humph!" Kagome pouted; clearly annoyed with the child that was ignoring her. "Well then, I guess I'll have to find someone else to give this candy to." 

            THAT caught his attention.

            "Candy? Where?" he asked, sniffing the air for the sweet smell that accompanied his favorite food.

            "I don't have it here with me, that's why I need you to do a favor for me!"

            "What kind of favor?" he asked, looking up at her with his cute green eyes.

            "I need you to distract Inuyasha for me while I make an escape for the well. When I come back from doing my homework over there I'll bring you a hershey's bar."

            "The kind with almonds in it?" he asked adoringly, his eyes pleading.

            "Yes, Shippo, the kind with almonds in it."

            "YAY!!!!" he shouted as he jumped into her arms. "What do I have to do?"

            She whispered her plan into his ear.

            "Do you think you can do it?" she asked.

            "I'll try it at least. I may be able to fool him for a short time. Ha! Dog-boy won't have any idea what happened!" he laughed as he scurried toward where the hanyou was sleeping high up in a tree. He stopped and looked back at her. "I just have one question: Why can't you just 'sit' him?"

            "I really don't want to have to. I don't want to have another one of those long fights today. I just want to go home and rest awhile." she explained. She was getting a really bad headache.

            "Okay Kagome! See you later!" he said, before he went off on his mission.

            "Bye Shippo!" she called to the little fox-child's retreating back. _A whole day of rest and relaxation, she thought happily,_ I can do my homework at my house, and maybe even watch a movie today!_ Kagome sighed in relief. She hadn't been feeling very well these past few days. __It's probably just all the running around we have been doing. Today was the first chance that I even got to rest! Inuyasha is a slave driver. She wondered where Miroku and Sango had disappeared to on Kirara. __Miroku had said something about a demon in the west and how it might have some jewel shards. Luckily Inuyasha was unconscious, or he would've gone after them, no matter how bad his injuries were! They had recently fought a strong demon, and Inuyasha had been wounded badly._ He's such an insensitive jerk! _She thought angrily, her face turning into a worried frown.__ I hope he'll be okay while I'm gone. He's still pretty beat up, she thought guiltily.__ Maybe I should bring him some extra ramen when I come back. She thought as she headed toward the well, _I hope he isn't too angry at me for doing this.....__

            ****************************

            Back at the camp, Shippo prepared to fool the stubborn hanyou. Swiftly, he turned into a Kagome look-alike, and sat down in the place where she had been studying. _Uh-oh! _he thought. _She forgot her backpack!  He frantically wondered what to do. Finally, he came to a conclusion, and settled for guarding her pack until she returned._

            Meanwhile, a certain hanyou was waking up. Silently he jumped down from his perch and walked over to 'Kagome'. 

            "Oi, wench! Let's go," he said, but noticed that she had not moved. "Did you hear me?" he asked, puzzled. 

            Suddenly, Shippo realized that Inuyasha had been talking to him; he had forgotten that he looked like Kagome as he had thought over the backpack situation. "Oh, um, okay!" he said, jumping up, hoping that he had fooled the dog demon. But Inuyasha wasn't the kind to be fooled by kitsune tricks. 

            Walking over to the 'girl' he suddenly caught a whiff of Shippo's scent. "Shippo! You little brat! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

            "....."

            Realization suddenly dawned on Inuyasha. (A/N: It took him long enough!) "Damn! She went back to the well, didn't she?!"

            "Yes. But only because she wasn't feeling good." Shippo said defensively, "I think that she is sick. She didn't have the energy to argue with you, and she even forgot her bag!"

            "Stupid wench! She could've just told me she didn't feel well!" he grumbled. "I guess that I'll have to take this back to her," he said as he lifted up the backpack and walked off, in the direction of the well, muttering angrily.

            Shippo just stared at the hanyou as he stalked off, and then shook his head in resignation. "Now who will I have to play with?" he said as he headed off toward Kaede's village to wait for Sango and Miroku to return.

            *********************************

            Back at home, Kagome had finally managed to drag herself into her house and up the stairs, before collapsing in exhaustion. Shivering, she pulled the blanket tight around her, not caring that she hadn't changed into her pajamas. She felt much worse than she did a few minutes ago. As she drifted off into sleep, she planned on how to make it up to Inuyasha by bringing him extra ramen. She didn't notice the wintery breeze that blew in through her open window. Or the snow that had started to fall.

            *********************************

            Who wants to know what happens next? *silence* Well, for those of  you who do want to know, you had better review! All flames will be used to make a nice warm fire for the obviously chilled Kagome. If you don't review I'll either a) get rid of the story, or b) have Kagome die in the next chapter and say that it's the end of the story and turn this into an angst fic. *smiles evilly*

All suggestions are welcome! Ja ne! 


	2. Fuzzy Red Blankets and Hot Soup

            They like me, they really like me! *gets stars in her eyes* Thank you! I've decided that Kagome isn't going to die, *grins evilly* yet. It all depends on the reviews I'm getting. Don't worry, she probably won't. In truth, I really hate angst fics. They're icky. Oh, and from now on I'll be responding to your reviews every chappie! Also, I know that I am taking a long time to get to the good part of the story, so please bear with me! I'll get to it in the next chapter! I promise!

            A special thanks to my very first reviewers ever!

            **Lady Moonlight**:  **Do you really think so???? Thank you!**

          **mkitty-chan: Thanks for reviewing! I Love kittens too! Even if Inuyasha doesn't. **

            **starmoon:  I'm sure that those silent readers will speak up soon. Don't worry, I'm not in the murderous mood today. I won't make Kagome die from pneumonia or whatever. I want to get to the funny part, and for that I need her ALIVE. As I said before, I hate angst. Icky!**

**            Disclaimer: I don't wanna say it! *sigh* But I know I have to. Alright. *mumbles* I don't own Inuyasha. **

        Kitten Caboodle

        Chapter 2: Fuzzy Red Blankets and Hot Soup

          Inuyasha traveled quickly after Kagome, worried that she might be really sick. _Stupid girl! Making me worry over her!_ But in truth, he was more than a little anxious. He had just realized how he had been running the poor girl into the ground, chasing after jewel shards and hardly ever stopping to rest. He felt really guilty. What if it was his fault that she had gotten sick? He quickened his pace until he came to the well, and shouldering the heavy pack, jumped in. As always, the trip through the well was accompanied by an odd light. Having reached the other side, he jumped out and was greeted with a blast of cold air and snow. _Weird! _He thought, _it isn't snowing in my time!_

As he walked over to the house, he noticed that there weren't any lights on, and that the door was wide open. Quickly shutting the door behind him, he set about to finding Kagome. In almost no time he found her scent. Following it up the stairs and into her room, he paused at the door in shock. There was Kagome, wrapped tightly in thin blankets, shivering, as snow blew in through her open window. Horrified, he strode over to the window and snapped it shut, then turned toward Kagome. His golden eyes flashing with worry, he knelt down next to her and tried to shake her awake.

            "Kagome?" he asked, his worry growing when he felt her ice cold skin. She didn't respond at all. "Kagome!" his voice getting louder with fear. Wondering what to do, he felt her forehead, like she had done when she thought that he was sick. It burned under his touch. Kagome, his Kagome, was really sick! Frantically, he searched around for some extra blankets. Finding a large, fuzzy red one in the closet, he wrapped it around her. Gathering her up, he made his way to the electric fireplace that she had shown him how to work.

            (A/N: I have no idea whether or not Kagome has a fireplace. I decided that all people have fireplaces and that she should have one too! Anyways, how else is he supposed to warm her up? And for all you people with your heads in the gutter, I am NOT going to that level of fluffiness that you are thinking of!!!! Tough luck for fluff lovers!!!)

            Setting her on the couch that was in front of the fireplace, he proceeded to turn it on. _Good thing Kagome showed me how to work it! He thought in relief. As the room became considerably warmer, he decided that she was safe from freezing; she wasn't shivering as much now. Getting up, he walked into the kitchen and started to make some hot soup for her. (A/N: Just pretend that Inu knows how to heat up food! It's not that hard to turn on the microwave, even for a guy from the feudal era!  Pretend that Kagome taught him how to, okay?) Carefully, he used his claws to open the can, and then poured the contents into a bowl. Putting it in the microwave, he waited impatiently. Just as the microwave 'dinged', he heard Kagome start to wake up. Grabbing a spoon and the bowl of soup, he strode back into the living room, sighing in relief as she turned her eyes toward him._

            "Inuyasha?" she asked, confused. What was Inuyasha doing here, and how did she get in front of the fireplace? Shivering, she pulled the blanket tighter around her, as she began to understand what had happened. "Inuyasha, what happened?" 

            "Feh! Stupid wench! I came right after you when you had gone! You forgot your backpack! And then I find that your window was open and snow was blowing into your room, with you shivering," he said angrily, glaring at her, "How come you didn't tell me you were sick? It would've saved me a lot of trouble!" 

            Kagome looked down at her feet, she knew she should've told him. "Gomen ne, Inuyasha...I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, and I'm sorry that I caused you to worry."

            "Me worry about you? Yeah right!" he snorted, walking over to her, but Kagome heard the note of worry that had crept into his voice, "What are you sorry for anyway?"

            Kagome just stared at her shoes as if they were the most interesting things in the world. Sighing to himself, Inuyasha sat down next to her and handed her the bowl of soup he had made. "Here wench! Eat this so you won't shiver anymore. All your shivering is starting to annoy me."

            Nodding her head, Kagome took a sip of the soup. Looking up in wonder, she asked, "Inuyasha, did you make this for me?" He nodded his head silently. She grinned, "Thank you!"

            Turning his head to the side, eh 'fehed'. Suddenly, Kagome started to cough non-stop. 

            "Oi! Kagome, are you okay?" he asked, letting his voice become worried. Kagome shook her head. Between each cough, she managed to ask him to find some coughing medicine in the bathroom cupboard. 

            "What does it look like?" he asked, jumping up. 

            "It's *cough* red *cough* with some *cough* syrupy *cough* substance inside," she managed to choke out.

            Dashing up the stairs into the bathroom, he quickly found what he was looking for. When he returned to the ill girl, he handed her the bottle. Unsteadily, she poured the syrup into one of those little measuring containers that came with the bottle. Gulping it down, she waited for the coughing to subside. 

            "Thanks Inuyasha," she croaked, her voice hoarse from the coughing fit.

            "It's nothing," Inuyasha responded without thinking, "Just don't do that again."

            Smiling crookedly, she nodded. Yawning, she suddenly felt really tired. Inuyasha came over and sat by her, worry showing plainly on his face. 

            "Are you going to be okay now?" he asked, looking at her. He was too scared from what had just happened to even think of acting like he usually did. Kagome nodded again, feeling too tired to even speak. Lying down, she unconsciously laid her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. Blushing a little, Inuyasha muttered "stupid wench." Looking down at her, he breathed in her intoxicating scent. Slowly, he too had fallen asleep, his head resting on top of hers as he pulled her closer. 

            ******************************************************************

            Awwwww, how CUTE! Fluff for all! Okay, in the next chapter I'll through in a lot of humor! I'm starting to get sick of romance. Don't forget, you must R&R if you want another chapter! I promise that it'll get funnier! Oh, and you silent people, SPEAK UP! I want reviews! I need at least five more before I do the next chapter! If you want to see Kagome get a new cat, you had better! Ja ne! 


	3. Boy Meets Cat

            Wow! 18 reviews! I'm sooooo happy! *dances around and gives everyone snow cones* I got all these from Brat! She's up in the snow! Add your favorite flavor to them! Okay, I'll do the next chapter, but I warn you, my writing may change often! It depends on the mood I'm in! And thanks to all you reviewers! I won't kill Kagome. At least not in this chapter! I'll try to make the chapters longer too! But I'm just writing what comes to me on the spur of the moment! I don't have much time to pre-write it in a little notebook, even if I had one. Now, on to the Disclaimer, then to the review responses, and then to the story! YAY!

            **Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha! If you tried to sue me, you would only get *counts* one Inuyasha movie, a bunch of c.d.s, five cents, nine cats, and lots of snow cones! Okay, so that's more than what some of the other writers have, but still, it's not a whole lot!**

**            Megu-chan: Just you wait! This story will live up to its summary!**

**            SenshiofSilence: Yeah, yeah. Read on and you'll find the kitty. Or even better, take one of mine! I'm stuck with NINE of those little devils! The novelty of having a kitten is starting to wear off.**

**            Creativity: Cute? Ya really think so??? Ahh, gee, thanks! **

**            Holy-Psychic-Vulpix:  How in the world did you come up with that name?????**

**            Inuyasha's Love: You think it's cute??? ^_^ Wait until the kitten comes in! Inuyasha will be howling mad!!!! *puns, gotta love 'em!* **

**            Cat Silver: Kagome won't die. At least not in this chapter. Thankfully, there will be less fluff in this chapter! So you like cats? *hands her one* Here, have one of my mine! **

**            Angel Moon: Have fun reading this cat story! **

**            Silverstarlight: Thanks! It is kawaii, isn't it? **

**            Silvermoon Maru: I love it too when Inuyasha is worried for Kagome! I know that he's a little OOC, but he'll soon fall back into his regular habits.**

**            Neostrawberriesweet: Thanks for reviewing!**

**            darksidemoonshine: You want kittens, eh? Here, take mine! **

**            Arwin: ff.net has been acting up a lot! For some reason, it wouldn't let me load any of the pages! I would have had this chapter up last night! And no, death by kitties would be too cruel for Kagome! But now that I have this chapter up, I can keep writing. *mimics Arwin who was mimicking Mr. Burns* Excellent.**

**            The Son of Logan and Ororo: Thanks for the info about how most Japanese houses don't have fireplaces! I'm kinda new to the Anime world, and don't know much about the lifestyle of the Japanese. That sounds cool though! One day, I have GOT to travel to ****Japan**** and see it for myself! I better start learning more Japanese! *reads from her Japanese/English dictionary* Neat! *then mom comes along and says that she has to borrow it* T_T Now how am I gonna learn Japanese?! **

**            Owl Eyed Athena: Ummm....Thanks? Just one question. When you said 'well done' did you perchance mistake me for a waitress at Outback Steakhouse?**

**            Once again, thanks to all you who reviewed!!! Now on to the story!!**

**Kitten Caboodle**

****

**Chapter 3: Boy Meets Cat**

          Kagome slowly awakened, aware that she was next to something warm. She snuggled in deeper, and heard the distinct sound of a heartbeat.  Opening her eyes, all she saw was red. Looking up, she could blearily make out something silver. Blinking her eyes, she focused on what she was cuddled with. _OMG! It's Inuyasha!!!!! She thought, looking up at his face, peaceful in sleep. She froze, wondering what she should do. He wasn't awake yet. Calming down, she tried to get up. Just as she moved, his arm, which was wrapped around her, tightened its grip on her as he growled in his sleep. __He's possessive even in his sleep! She thought in irritation. Cautiously, she surveyed her surroundings. __How did I get here? Suddenly, she remembered as she spied the empty soup bowl. She remembered how nice he was last night, though to her it was still very unclear. __I must've been really sick... she thought, just as she sneezed. _

            "Achooooo!!!" she snuffled. _Correction: I must BE really sick!_ Looking up again, she found herself staring into a pair of golden eyes. She tensed, scared that he might be angry. Looking at him, he didn't appear to be furious, just surprised, and was that _embarrassment she saw????? Relaxing slightly, she found that she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. It was gone now, but she was sure that she had seen embarrassment flash through those amber orbs._

            "About time you woke up, wench!" he said, though in a soft voice. She was confused. Why was he acting so different? She had expected him to push her away after she woke up, but he still had his arm wrapped around her. Why was he being so nice?

            "Inuyasha?" she asked, confusion in her voice. He quickly looked down at the ground, breaking their eye contact. Before he could respond, they both heard a click behind them. Quickly turning around, both found the source of the noise. Standing there was Mrs.Higurashi cheerfully holding a camera. She looked very pleased.

            "I'm going to put this one in the family album," she said, "You were both so cute, sitting there, I couldn't help but take a picture."

            "MOM!" yelled Kagome, as she quickly scrambled up, intent on getting that camera and breaking it into a dozen pieces. There was one problem though. Somehow, the fuzzy red blanket Inuyasha had wrapped around her had somehow got tangled with Inuyasha, so that when she tried to get up, she tripped, dragging Inuyasha along with her. Falling face first to the ground with a soft 'oomph', she struggled to get up. To her surprise, something heavy had fallen down on top of her, something that looked suspiciously like Inuyasha. (A/N: Heehee! ^_^) She finally managed to roll over on to her back, only to come face to face with Inuyasha, who looked like he thought that he was about to be 'sat'. Kagome paused, aware of her face turning beet red. The spell was quickly broken though, as she heard her mom take another picture. 

            "Now this is a Kodak moment," said her brother, Souta, as he walked into the room smirking. "Does this mean that Inuyasha's going to be my big brother?"

            "Souta, when I get up, I am going to make you pay for that!" Kagome growled in mock ferocity. Turning to Inuyasha, she sheepishly asked, "Could you help me get untangled?" 

            He nodded, and looking at Souta he growled and said, "You are so dead." Then he proceeded to untangle the blanket that had wrapped around both him and Kagome as quickly as he could, while she was muttering something about revenge on a certain bratty little brother for saying a certain something. Souta 'eeped' and dashed out of the room as fast as he could, while Kagome and Inuyasha ran after him, both finally freed from the blanket. 

            They both chased Souta around the house. Somewhere along the way, Inuyasha and Kagome had gotten pillows, and had proceeded to whack him with them. Grinning, Souta found his own pillow, and turned toward the two. They then proceeded to have a pillow fight of such immense proportions that even Mrs.Higurashi had decided to stay out of their way. The fight was only stopped when Kagome collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, coughing heavily. Concerned, Inuyasha helped her to sit on the couch, and poured her some more of that medicine she used before. Mrs.Higurashi came over, worried, with a thermometer in her hands. She took Kagome's temperature. It was 103.2 degrees. 

            "Kagome," he mother scolded, "What were you thinking running around the house in this condition? It's off to bed with you, young lady!" Kagome tried to get up, but stumbled, tired and weary from all the running. To her surprise, Inuyasha picked her up, bridal style, and carried her up the stairs and into her room, with Souta and Mrs.Higurashi following. Setting her carefully down on the bed, he tucked the freshly cleaned covers around her. The room was back to normal temperature, and the snow that had blown into her room had long since melted and dried.

            "Kagome, I don't want you to get up for a while," said Mrs.H  (A/N: I'm gonna call her that from now on, it takes to long to write out her full name!)  Lovingly, she smoothed back her daughter's bangs. "How are you feeling now?"

            Kagome coughed, "Not so good." In truth, she felt horrible. Her nose had plugged up, her throat was sore, and she felt very tired. 

            Suddenly, Mrs.H got an idea. "If it would make you feel better, would you want your birthday present now?" Kagome's eyes widened. She could get her birthday present a week early??? (A/N: I have no idea when her B-day is. I'm just gonna say it that it's in winter. It fits with the story.) 

            "Yes it would!!!!" she said, excited. _What am I going to get?_ She wondered. 

            "Okay," said her mother, smiling, "I'll be gone for about an hour. I have to develop these photos and go get your present. And remember, no getting out of bed!" And with that, Mrs.H walked out, but not before she said, "Inuyasha, could you take care of these two while I'm gone?" He nodded. "Thanks. Bye!" And she left.

            Turning toward the two siblings, he asked, "What now?" Immediately Souta jumped up.

            "Let's go play on my Gamecube! I just got Super Smash Brothers Melee!" he shouted happily, dashing out of the room. Nodding, Inuyasha turned back toward Kagome.

            "Kagome-" he said, about to ask if it was alright. But he found her already asleep. Grumbling about wenches who couldn't stay awake for one minute, he nevertheless went over and tucked the blanket more snuggly around her before leaving the room. (A/N: Awwwwwww!!!!!! How sweet!)

            During the next half hour, Inuyasha learned the ways of the Gamecube. 

            "Take that! And that!" he and Souta were yelling, trying to kill their adversaries. (A/N: Boys. Ya gotta love 'em! Even if they are idiots most of the time. I can barely tear mine away from his Gamecube!)

            "NOOO!!!" cried Souta as the screen flashed Game Over. "We were so close to beating them!" as Inuyasha nodded his head in agreement.

            Over in the other room, Kagome had woken up from her slumber. Getting up, she could hear the groans of the two boys in the other room, and could even make out the words "We'll kill 'em next time!" Chuckling to herself, she stretched and walked over to where the two were playing on her brother's game system. She was still tired though, and wobbled slightly. Inuyasha heard her come over, and got up quickly. He had on his 'stubborn face' as he looked her straight in the eyes.

            "You're supposed to be in bed. What are you doing up?" he asked, his eyes flashing in annoyance.

            "I heard you two playing the game, and came over. I'm not that tired you know!" she snapped, getting angry.

            "Well, you're going to have to go back to bed," said Inuyasha as his eyes sparkled mischievously. 

            _What is he up to? Thought Kagome. "Well, I don't feel like it," she huffed, crossing her arms in front of her, mimicking one of Inuyasha's more common poses. "And you can't make me."_

            "Oh really?" he asked, grinning widely, showing his fangs. 

            _Uh-oh! She thought. She had a feeling of what was going to happen. "Oh no you don't!" she warned. "You wouldn't dare!" She growled in mock anger. She opened her mouth to say the 's word', but Inuyasha knew what was coming, and swiftly picked her up._

            "If you 'sit' me now, woman," he warned, clearly enjoying her obvious consternation, "Then I'm gonna take you down with me!" Realizing that she still had her mouth open, she snapped it shut, glowering at him. In her mind, she could almost see the little scoreboard that said Inuyasha:1 - Kagome:0. Still glaring at him, she allowed herself to be carried back up the stairs. He carefully set her back down. Smirking, he also saw the little scoreboard. As he walked away, Kagome decided to get her revenge on him.

            "Oh Inuyasha!" she sweetly called.

            Turning toward her, he said, "What is it wench?"

            Suddenly her expression became very dark, but her voice still carried the innocent tone, "Sit boy!"

            WHAM!!!!

            "Argh! Bitch!" he yelled into the floor. Kagome just smiled sweetly. Inuyasha meet floor, floor meet Inuyasha. Kagome:1 - Inuyasha:1. 

            While Inuyasha was busy cursing into the floor and trying to get up, Kagome heard the front door open. "I'm home everybody!" she heard her mom call, as Mrs.H started up the stairs. Inuyasha had finally freed himself, and sat sulking in the corner, when Mrs.H walked into the bedroom carrying a large basket. From out of nowhere, Buyo appeared, sniffed the basket, and walked away to some other part of the house. (A/N: Okay! Who wants to guess what's in the basket? Obviously Buyo doesn't like it, whatever it is.)

            "Here you go, Kagome," said her mother as she handed Kagome the basket. Inuyasha took on sniff of the air and immediately recognized what it was. _Oh no! He thought, as he watched as Kagome opened the basket, and give a shriek of joy._

            "YAY!!! It's a kitten!! Thanks Mom!" she cried as she lifted the fuzzy little kitten out of the basket. It was a solid white kitten, with golden eyes and fuzzy fur that covered its whole body. "It's adorable!" she cried again as the kitten began to purr as she stroked it.

            Then it looked over at Inuyasha, and that little devil _smirked at him! The nerve of that flea bitten little ball of useless fluff!!!!! Glaring at the kitten, he said nothing. He would get even with that little cat, even if he had to endure through a hundred 'sits'!_

            *************************************************************************

            Finally, the kitten has arrived!!!! *looks abashed* Ummmm....I need a little help....You see, I, uh, have no idea what to call the cat! I want the name to be Japanese, but the problem is that I don't know any good names in Japanese! And I certainly don't want the cat to be called 'Neko' or 'Shiroi Neko'!!!!! (neko=cat and shiroi=white(adj.)) You get my point?! Good! So when you review, could some of you please give me an idea of what its name should be! I don't even know if the cat is a girl or a boy yet!! *looks desperate when nobody said that they would* *decides to resort to bribing* If I choose the name you sent in, along with the gender, I'll include you in the story, sometime in the next two chapters! So please review! *looks around at the readers, some of which are nodding their heads* Thanks! Ja ne!!! 


	4. Cats and Dogs

            You guys are so great! You all came up with some really good names! A special thanks to all the reviewers! And another special thanks to **SUGAR HIGH GIRL, **FuhGettaBoutIt**, and **Sakura-chan88 **for putting me on your favorite list! *stars in eyes* I feel so loved! Also, to all of you who sent in names, the names WILL be mentioned in the fic! It was so hard for me to decide what the name and gender should be! In fact, it was so hard that I haven't even decided yet! *grins abashedly* I'll figure it out as I'm writing though!  Now on to the Disclaimer, Review Responses, and the fourth chapter of "Kitten Caboodle!"**

**Disclaimer: *silence for a few moments* Nuh-uh! I'm not gonna say it! *tries to break from the bonds holding her strapped down to a chair* Nope! *lawyer turns to look at the other lawyer* Lawyer#1: Should we make a deal with her? Lawyer#2: Yep. It's the only way to get her to talk. *turns to Erica* Here's the deal, you say the disclaimer, we release you and promise not to sue you for attacking us, and you promise not to hurt us. Deal? *Erica ponders for a moment* Deal. Okay, I do not own Inuyasha. There, I said it, now release me! *lawyers untie her* Lawyer#1: Remember your promise. *Erica nods, then decides that promises to lawyers mean nothing* WHACK! *hits both lawyers in the head with a giant frying pan she got from nowhere* *walks off with a smug grin on her face, leaving the two lawyers unconscious and tied to the chair* Never make deals with lawyers OR angry teenagers. You'll regret it. *walks off whistling***

**            Hanamaru285: Thanks for the wolf name idea! I have got lots of other good names, but yours is one of my favorites so far. Thanks for reviewing. *hands her a snow cone* Brat's got an endless supply of these, so have one! I and she are both giving them to our reviewers. You guys deserve them. **

**            mkitty-chan: Lots of good ideas from you, and I'm pretty sure that Inu will get really jealous of the cat. I'm planning to go into a type of P.O.V thing, but it's got a real twist to it! Ever seen the movie, That Darn Cat! Yeah, well, it's gonna be like that. *snickers at what she knows is coming up in the next chapter* It's gonna be real funny, that's for sure! And here's a snow cone for you too!**

**            shadowspinner: A cat named C-More, hmmmm. I think you've been watching to much Simpsons episodes. That sounds like something Bart would say! But the name is definitely a good one! And I may plan to use your idea in the sequel....Ooops! Said too much! Forget that I ever wrote that there would be a sequel! *holds up little clock she got from her shrink and starts waving it in front of shadowspinner* You will forget what I just wrote! *she says in a spooky voice* You will forggeeetttt! Here's a snow cone! *hands shadowspinner a snow cone* *goes back to talking eerily* Youuuu wiiillll forrrrggggeeeetttt!**

**            AoiTsuki: Hmmm, your names are definitely something to consider....Or do you just want the cat named after you? I would've e-mailed you for more names (you made your own shoju manga? Wow!) but my mother (pure evil incarnate) says that I can't because 1) she doesn't want me to get bad ideas from chat rooms (I'm telling you, this is what she told me!) 2) doesn't want the computer to catch a virus (Okay, that's another totally stupid reason) and 3) (this one makes the most sense) I'm already taking up too much time working on my fics. Yeah, ya see what I have to work with? Feh! Parents...*grumbles* Overprotective bloodsucker, that's what she is! Still, she's my mom.....*goes back to grumbling* Stubborn too..... *hands a snow cone to Aoi Tsuki* Enjoy!**

**            Owl Eyed Athena: *looks ashamed* Really sorry about that! I didn't know! Forgive me! *wails* I'm a bad horrible person for insulting my reviewers! *bops head, like Dobby does in Harry Potter 2* Bad Erica! Bad Erica! *rubs head* Ow! That hurts! Thanks *ouch* for sending in those really good names! Are you fluent in Japanese? You sure sound like it! I'm still waiting for my Japanese Learning Kit.*sighs* Pathetic, huh? I live up here in the snow, so the only thing that I can get a hold of is satellite and eBay. I live in a little hic of a town. Maybe in the next fic I write I'll base some of the plot on my school and town. *gets great idea and runs off to write it down* *runs back* Oh, and here's a snow cone for you! Bye! *dashes off muttering to herself***

**            FuhGettaBoutIt: Good idea! Mika, that's a really good idea! Hey, isn't he one of those guys from the Movie Surfers on Disney? Totally cute! Not as cute as Inu though! *thinks for a moment* I've noticed something really weird with Inuyasha fan fictions. Are there ANY guys that watch and write about Inuyasha??????? It's kinda hard to tell from the pen names, but most of the authors do say that they're girls. Where are the guys????? *sigh* They're probably out there somewhere. I think that I've identified one so far. But ya never know with pen names! *hands FuhGettaBoutIt a snow cone* Here's one for you too!**

**            Watersong: I'm definitely thinking over your name idea. And that's probably what Inu would name it too! But Kagome wouldn't let Inu call her kitten Baka, so maybe I could just make that name a nickname that Inu calls the cat. Much like he calls Kagome 'wench'. *imagines funny scene* Inu calls the cat Baka, and Kagome 'sits' him into oblivion! Yeah! That's a good idea! *writes it down in a little notepad* *distractedly* Here have a snow cone......*hands Watersong a snow cone, still looking lost in thought and mumbling to herself***

**            Sailor Saturn: You write multiple stories?????? WOW! That would be hard for me! I can barely get ONE done in less than two hours! It takes me thirty minutes just to get past the Disclaimer and Review Responses! Me, I just weave my mood in with the story. It could go from really fluffy one day, to humorously outrageous the next! Thanks for the nice review! I've only got one flame so far, thankfully! *hands her a snow cone* Here's one for you! Add your favorite flavor! *starts to lick her snow cone while writing* YUMMY! I LOVE SNOW CONES!!!!!! YAY! *gets hyper and runs around the room***

**            Sakura-chan88: What do you mean D.g. takes over your next chapter? I and Brat have got her tied up to a chair! *looks back to where she D.g. had been tied up* See- *gulp* Uh-oh....*no D.g.* Dang! Brat's gonna kill me for letting her escape! *runs over to where D.g. used to be* o_O* *inspects the ropes that held D.g.* How in the world did she _burn_ them off?????? *hears yelling outside and goes to investigate* *sees D.g. running up the snow bank, waving a torch* D.g.: I'm free! The Lord of the Flames is free! *D.g. forgets that Lord is a guy's title* Erica: D.g., GET BACK HERE! *D.g. doesn't stop* BAD GIRL! WHUMPH! *D.g. is smacked straight through the snow bank* *Erica runs over to where she saw D.g. fall through and looks down at the hole that was made* She never learns......Oh, and before D.g. eats them all, here's a snow cone for you! *gives Sakura-chan a snow cone* We're up in the mountains. Plenty of snow. In fact, that's all we have to eat right now. Due to a certain BAD GIRL *WHUMPH* we're out of food. Our parents went to the store (ten miles away) and haven't come back yet. If this keeps up, we're gonna starve! HELP! *Brat comes up* You dope! It's only been twenty minutes! Erica: Oh. Okay! ^_^ *starts to eat her snow cone* Brat: Idiots. Both of them.**

**Kitten Caboodle******

**Chapter 4: Cats and Dogs**

            They had been sitting there for an hour, arguing about what to call the damn cat. Every time Kagome suggested something, Souta would say that it was a stupid name. Every time he suggested something, the two siblings would either ignore him or tell him to shut up. Frankly, he was sick and tired of the argument. He stared at the two while they argued, sighing to himself. Then he spotted that godforsaken cat. Growling, he watched as it sidled up to Kagome and mewed cutely. Kagome picked it up and began stroking it. Growling even louder, he glared at the cat. That little devil even smirked at him! Then, just to spite him, it began to purr, making Kagome squeal with delight. The sight was sickening. _Stupid, suck-up cat! He thought angrily, _it thinks that it can just waltz right in here and become the center of attention without any opposition! It'll get what's coming to it!_ He scooted farther away from the feline, growling loud enough to be heard by Kagome. Confused, Kagome turned toward him._

            "Inuyasha," she said, "What's wrong?" 

            Scowling, he turned away from the sick girl and stared at the wall as if it was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen in his life.

            Then Souta started laughing, causing Kagome and Inuyasha to jerk up in shock. Kagome stared at Souta, perplexed, as Souta began to choke out some words that made Inuyasha very angry.

            "Inuyasha is a dog-demon!" Souta said, laughing.

            "So?" Kagome asked, still puzzled.

            "Most dogs hate cats!" Souta answered. Then to Inuyasha's utmost annoyance, Kagome started to laugh too. _What the hell was so damn funny?!_ He thought.

            "Grrr...." he said, causing them to laugh even harder. Glowering at them, he scooted farther away from them, a hurt look on his face as he realized their implications.

            "I'm not a dog!" he shouted at them, furious, his ears laid back in anger. Kagome stopped laughing as she realized that what they were doing was hurting his feelings. Concerned, she walked over to him, and sat down next to him. 

            "Souta, could you leave the room for a minute?" she asked her little brother, "I need to speak with Inuyasha privately." Souta nodded in understanding, sorry that he had upset Inuyasha. Walking out, he took the kitten with him, and shut the door. Kagome turned to face Inuyasha, but found that he was looking away from her, and that his ears were still laid back. Kagome sighed; she didn't mean to hurt his feelings.

            "Inuyasha?" she began tentatively, trying not to further anger the already furious half-demon. He didn't respond, but his ears pricked up lightly at the sound of her voice. "Inuyasha, gomen nasai," she said quietly, wishing that he would just look at her, or even yell at her, anything but this cold silence he was giving her. Tears started to fall down her cheeks, as she looked away, angry at herself for doing such mean actions. 

            Startled, Inuyasha could smell the salty scent of her tears as he looked up at her. _What the hell is she crying about?!  Perplexed, he spoke, "What's wrong with you woman? Why the hell are you crying?!"_

            Still crying, Kagome turned to face him, "I'm sorry for hurting your feelings. Please forgive me. I shouldn't have acted so carelessly." 

            Cautiously, he reached up with a clawed hand and wiped away the tears falling from your face. He couldn't stand it when she cried! Struggling to find someway to make her happy again, he decided to lighten the mood. Grinning at her, he reached up to flick one of his ears, "I guess I do look a lot like a dog, eh?" he said, hoping that she would stop crying.

            Kagome smiled. She didn't know why he was being so nice to her, but it wasn't often that he smiled.

            "Yeah," she said, happily. "Ummmm, Inuyasha?" she asked cautiously. "Can I touch your ears?" 

            Startled, he looked at her. She was happy again, and that made him feel better. But he didn't like it when people touched his ears, they were really sensitive. _As long as it makes her happy, he thought. Nodding his head in acquiescence, he bent down low enough for her to reach. Smiling in happiness, she reached up and tentatively began to rub them. They were so soft! Suddenly, she heard a low sort of growling coming from Inuyasha. Looking at him, she struggled to stifle a giggle. His eyes were half closed in contentment, and his whole face was relaxed. Unable to stop giggling, she started to rub both his ears at the same time. This time, he just slumped to the floor, a contented smile on his face, and was purring loudly. Kagome kept rubbing them, and soon heard a snore coming from Inuyasha. He had fallen asleep! Giggling madly, she shook him awake._

            "Inuyasha," she said, "Wake up! We still have to name the cat!"

            Awoken from his peaceful slumber, Inuyasha sighed. "Do we have to?" he asked, looking at her pleadingly.

            Putting on a stern face, she said, "Of course we have to!" Before getting up and heading toward the door to find out where Souta and the kitten were. Sighing again, Inuyasha followed her. _Not this again._ He thought dejectedly.

            ~One hour later~

            "How about Chin (submitted from Owl Eyed Athena)?" suggested Kagome. 

            "No way!" Souta argued, "You can't go around calling a boy 'Precious'!"

            "Okay. How about Mika (submitted from FuhGettaBoutIt) ?" she said.

            "WHAT?!" shouted Inuyasha. "Hell no!"

            "I thought that it was a good idea," pouted Kagome. "What about Aya (Hanamaru285)?"

            "No."

            "Okami (same)?" 

            "NO."

            "Achika (same)?"

            "No."

            Frustrated, Kagome threw out more names. "C-More (shadowspinner)?"

            "No."

            "Narusaguwa? Maybe Narunaru? Or Naru for short? (all these by AoiTsuki)"

            "No, no and no." Souta stubbornly said.

            Just then Inuyasha piped up, "How about Baka? (Watersong)"

            Both siblings somehow got pillows and threw them at him, yelling at the same time, "NO!"

            And the war continued.

            Desperate, Kagome suggested the first thing that came to her mind, "Shiroi Neko?" 

            Souta stared at her like she was crazy, "Why in the world would you want to name a cat 'White Cat'?(Watersong/me)"

            "We could call him Shiri for short? (Watersong)" she suggested timidly.

            Souta pretended that he was thinking for a minute, then he said, "No."

            Growing even more desperate she said the other name that came to her mind, "Kitty-chan? (mkitty-chan)"

            Souta rolled his eyes and said, "NO!"

            "Yukio? (Owl Eyed Athena)"

            "Hmmm...'Always gets what he wants'. Not a bad name for a cat, but....No."

            Growling, Kagome looked like she was ready to strangle her little brother when Inuyasha spoke up again. 

            He had been staring at the cat for a while, and had thought hard of what it reminded him of. The moon. That's what! Deciding that he should be on better terms with this intruder in his home-wait a minute, HIS home?! Where did that thought come from? Banishing it with a shake of his head, he went back to thinking. _Maybe I should try to except the little monster. I'm most likely not gonna be able to get rid of it. Kagome's too attached to it. Oh well, I'll find another way to get my revenge. And that was when he spoke up._

            "What about Tsuki? (from, guess who, AoiTsuki!)" he said tentatively. Kagome looked like she was ready to kill.

            Staring at him for a minute, she realized what he had said. Her whole face lit up. "Tsuki! That's a great name! He's white like the moon too! It's perfect!" she cried, running over and hugging him. When she pulled away, his face was tinged pink. Smiling giddily, she went over and picked up the cat. 

            "You hear that?" she spoke to it, "Your name's Tsuki!" Hugging the cat tightly to her, she went back over to Inuyasha, and much to his obvious confusion, kissed him on the cheek, causing his to blush like mad. 

            "Thank you Inuyasha!" she said, before running downstairs to tell her mom and grandpa about Tsuki. Inuyasha just stared at where she had been, perplexed, and reached up to touch where she had kissed him. Souta looked at him in confusion too.

            "I think that there is something seriously wrong with my sister," he said.

            Nodding his head in agreement, Inuyasha got up and walked off after Kagome, with Souta following. Things were going to get interesting around here.

            *****************************************************

            So, how'd you like it? Thanks to AoiTsuki for giving me that cool cat name! You'll be in the next chapter! One question, do you want to be one of Kagome's friends, or a girl from Inuyasha's time? Send your answer in the review! Oh, and sorry to all you other reviewers whose names didn't get chosen. *hands out snow cones to them* These'll make you feel better! R&R please! Ja ne!


	5. Wet Dogs and Tricky Cats

            Lookie lookie! I'm back! Brat was hogging the computer ALL day yesterday, so me and D.g. couldn't get on and load our fics! *whacks Brat over the head* BRAT, YOU TAKE TOO DAMN LONG ON YOUR FICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *takes deep breaths* Ok. Got that out of my system. Oh, and for those of you who didn't already guess from what I wrote yesterday, Tsuki IS a guy kitten! Study the conversation on Souta's part better if you didn't catch that! Now that that has been said, on to the disclaimer! Then review responses, and then the story.... (Why do I have to write so much???????? T_T) Also, for those of you who haven't read D.g.'s fic yet, I suggest you do so. Why, you ask? 1) She's really bummed that she didn't get many reviews 2) I'm her friend and I feel sad for her too 3) She'll erase the fic she has and replace it with a crazier one and 4) She's actually been sane while writing this fic, and I want her to stay that way! If she stops writing, I and Brat are doomed to follow her on her flaming rampage again! 

            **Disclaimer: Okay, now this thing is really starting to bug me! Along with the lawyers. *shudder* I hate those weirdos! They're obsessed! I swear, they're STALKING me! *looks around, paranoid* GHAAAAAAAAA!!!!! *lawyer pops out from nowhere and points to the written law* *grumble* Fine, fine. *sulks* I don't own Inuyasha. *lawyer nods and turns away; Erica gets a good idea and grins maliciously pulling a large mallet out of nowhere and sneaking up behind him* WHACK!!!!! *laughs as the lawyer falls to the ground and yells in his ear* STOP STALKING ME YOU SICKO!!!!!! YOU DEMENTED, TWISTED, FREAK!!!!!!!!! *lawyer runs off* HAH!!!! TAKE THAT!!!! *Erica grins smugly* I WIN YET AGAIN!!!!!!**

**            Review Responses**

**            tsunami-chan: Sorry that I couldn't get your suggestion in time! Too bad that you have what Kagome has! *thinks for a moment* In fact, I don't even know what she has! *says in Kagome's ji-chan's voice* It could be um-err- I know! It's the Umerahnian disease! *nods head sagely* Very contagious. It's a variation of the flu! But much more dangerous. *looks around* Think they bought that?**

**            Holy-Psychic-Vulpix: You named your cats Fleabag and Jet Rocket????? What did you do, draw names out of a hat? Ya wanna know my cats' names? Let's see, there's Domino, Twister, Bitsy, Sherlock, Snowy, Satan, Velvet, my dog Misty, and the oldest cat, Lester, died a couple weeks ago. Oh, yeah, and I also have a cat named Inu-Neko, or Nike for short. He's the newest member of our family. Strangely enough, he acts like a dog. Hence the name. Yeah, also, he looks just like the cat in my story. I wanted to call him Inuyasha, but my mom has already heard that name too many times and said no. So, I named my cat 'dog-cat'. Weird, huh? Guess my cats' names are just as weird as yours.**

**            Jurei: Thanks for the info on when Kagome's birthday is! Sadly enough, I'm forced to watch the dubbed shows of Inuyasha. *sigh* I don't have any money, so I can't buy the DVDs from discountanimeDVD. *perks up* But hey, at least a got the movie! With the subtitles. And I agree that the voices are horribly dubbed. Though Richard Cox's voice is kinda okay I guess......It's definitely got that gruff edge to it. And the arrogant part too. *sighs again* Woe is me! Maybe I can talk my mom into buying the whole series with the Japanese and subtitles for 100$ for my birthday. ^_^**

**            SenshiofSilence: You actually want a cat????!!!!!  *grabs up Domino* Here, take this one! It's just as fat as Buyo! *mutters* In fact, that's my nickname for her. I also like to call her Shamoo. *hugs Inu-Neko to her* But ya can't have this one! I actually like this kitten! It looks just like the cat in my story! And the best part is that he doesn't even act like a cat! He acts like a dog! He can even do tricks! *hugs the cat again* MINE!**

**            Owl Eyed Athena: Awww, your science teacher is having a baby???? That's so sweet! I love kids! *sigh* Sadly, my science teacher is not doing very well. She just got out of surgery, and on her first day back, in third period, someone called her and told her that her dad died. She ran out of the room crying! Needless to say, she is having a horrible month. *looks sad* I feel really bad about what happened...V_V I hope she feels better.  *slaps self in the forehead* Dangit! I'm getting depressed! *bashes head on wall to get rid of sad thoughts* Authors should NEVER get depressed before writing a story! It will turn into an angst fic! GHHHAAAA!!! *rubs head* Much better. All sad thoughts erased. There is still lingering sadness though....hmmm... I know! *chugs down a bunch of soda, and gobbles up a bunch of candy* YAY!!! Now I'm sugar high and caffeine charged! On to the next review response!!!!**

**            Hanamaru285: So you're not angry that your name didn't get picked? *looks out from behind couch cushion where she was hiding from angry readers* Whew! Thanks! I got a couple of semi-flames last night. Just glad that nobody sent me a really bad one. **

**            Sailor Saturn: We're all hyper!!!!! YAY!!!! *sneaks a look around, and finding that Brat (the greedy, snow cone hoarding friend) is nowhere around, steals a rainbow snow cone and starts to eat it* ^_^ Yummy!**

**            shadowspinner: You had your friend name your cat? *whistles* Bad idea! I let one of my friends name my pet snake that I had, and you know what she called it? Mr. Slinky. Yeah. He died, like, three days after I got him. I have no idea why. It might have been from the embarrassment of being named Mr. Slinky though. **

**            Kiyakakia NeMoonia: YAY!!! I'm on somebody's favorite story list! Thanks!**

**            Sakura-chan88: Yeah, the 'Baka' part was pretty cruel, huh? You can thank Watersong for the idea; she suggested it. Too bad for you that you're in school! I had the whole week off! Now I have *counts* AHHHHH!!! I have only 1 1/2 more days of no school left! NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! T_T What godforsaken person ever came up with this torture????? Whoever it is, I hope they rot in hell!!!!!!!!!! Along with the person who came up with the idea known as 'homework'!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**            mkittychan: They already knew what gender the cat was: A boy. *shudder* Don't ask me how they found out! Just pretend that Inu could tell by the cat's scent. I don't really want to go into the other way they could've found out.....**

**            AoiTsuki: What? You don't want to be one of Kagome's friends? *looks innocent* I don't see anything wrong with them. Okay, okay. *holds up hands defensively as AoiTsuki glares at her* I won't make you one of her friends just to spite you! In fact, your character is gonna play a big part in my story! You may even be in the sequel....Eeeep! Forget I ever said that there was a sequel! Dangit! I slipped up again. *sigh* Oh, well. Just keep that information to yourself.**

**            Cat Silver: You have minions that actually rate stories??? I can't even teach mine to fetch a stick! *looks jealous* Humph! Mine just sit all day, lazing around! *yells at minions* BRAT! D.G.! YOU TWO ARE THE WORST MINIONS IN HISTORY! YOU CAN'T EVEN FETCH A STICK!!!! Brat: Why would we want to? *Erica looks stumped for a minute* Cause that's what minions do! Brat: So? We're not really your minions. Just because you have control over us does not mean that we are subject to your every whim! *glares at Erica; D.g. just stays asleep, used to these kinds of arguments* Erica: YES IT DOES! Brat: *looks murderous* Erica: Now fetch the damn stick! Brat: *grumbling* Fine then. *picks up stick* Here. *hands it to Erica* Erica: *looks innocent again* Good girl! *throws stick again* Now go fetch it again!**

**            Arella: Yeah, it was funny that the kitten smirked at Inuyasha! In fact, it will most likely get funnier!**

**            Megu-chan: The same thing has been happening to me too! I tried to review somebody's story, but the little screen said the exact same thing like five times in a row, before I gave up. It happened when a tried to log in too! *whacks computer* Stupid thing! You're supposed to be high-tech! What's wrong with you?! *computer shuts down by itself, erasing all that Erica wrote; and forgot to save what she did write* o_O!! F***!!!!!!!!! THE F****** COMPUTER DIED ON ME!!!!!! *starts to bash the computer into little pieces* (this really happened to me yesterday! That's why neither I, D.g., nor Brat got our chapters up!) **

**            Thanks to all you reviewers!**

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**Kitten Caboodle******

**Chapter 5: Wet Dogs and Tricky Cats**

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            Inuyasha growled to himself as he sat high up in his favorite tree, looking down at Kagome, who was playing with that rotten feline again. He had been ignored all day, and he didn't like being ignored. He shot another glare down at the cat. If looks could kill, that cat would be dead twice over. He watched it murderously as it played with Kagome, leaping and chasing the piece of string that she dangled in front of it. He glowered. _What the f*** is so entertaining about piece of string and the kitten playing with it? he thought jealously. _It's just a damn cat playing with a damn piece of string!_ He fidgeted a bit, trying to arrange himself more comfortably on the branch he was lying on, with his limbs dangling down to either side. Glancing down again, he found Kagome staring up at him. She motioned that she wanted to talk to him. He shook his head. Sighing in irritation, she motioned again that he should come down, saying, "Inuyasha, get down here or I'll say the 'word'!"_

            _She wouldn't dare, he thought as he looked away and 'feh'ed.  She crossed her arms and her foot began to tap on the ground impatiently. She really didn't want to do this, but he forced her into it._

            "Sit boy!" She yelled. He crashed down off the branch to land face first in the dirt. Dirt was a good friend of his. He had come to know it well. Teaching Dirt some new, more colorful words, he struggled to rise, glaring at Kagome.

            "Bitch! What the hell was that for?!" he yelled at the girl. (A/N: She's still sick by the way.) She crouched down next to him, and patted his head, rubbing his ears slightly until he had calmed down; though he was still grumbling.

            "Inuyasha, I need you to look after Tsuki for me while my mom and I go to the doctor's. My fever hasn't come down yet," and at this she coughed, "And I'm already tired from playing outside with Tsuki."

            Inuyasha stared at her in disbelief. He didn't know that she was still sick; she didn't look it. Studying her more intently, he noticed some things that had skipped by his attention before. Her face was flushed, and not from the cold; and she was breathing rather haggardly. Then he realized something: _What was she doing out here in the snow for godsakes?! He asked suspiciously, "Kagome, does your mother know that you're playing out here in the cold? There's still a little bit of snow on the ground too. Did she allow you to be out here?" _

            She lowered her eyes and muttered, "No."

            "On which account? Or on both of them?"  
            "Both," she said, looking guilty. His eyes narrowed.

            "Get back into the house before you freeze woman!" he barked at her, causing her to jump slightly and glare at him. Her eyes softened as she looked at him. He looked really worried for her.

            Bowing her head, she said softly, "I will Inuyasha. I'm sorry for worrying you again. I seem to be doing that a lot lately."

            "Damn right woman," he responded without thinking.

            She quickly looked up at him, "So you WERE worried for me! I knew it!"

            His mind took a minute to register what she had said. Spluttering, he yelled, "I was not worried about you! Why would I?! Feh! I wasn't worried!"

            Looking disbelievingly at him, she rolled her eyes. "Right, you just keep telling yourself that." She picked up the kitten and walked away.

            He sat gaping after her for a minute before jumping up and running after her, yelling. He caught up with her while she was in her room. She looked at him and said, "You still haven't told me if you'll look after Tsuki." He crossed the room and sat on the floor, looking pleadingly at her.

            "Can't Souta watch it?"

            "No he can't," she said sternly, "He's at school today."

            "How about your grandfather?" 

            "He's off at an antiques fair that's in town today," she stated, sighing. "Please Inuyasha? I don't want to leave Tsuki alone." She looked at him with puppy dog eyes.

            _GHAAAA!!!!!! The eyes! Stupid wench pulling such a dirty trick on me! His mind yelled, while he reluctantly nodded his head._

            "YAY!! Thanks Inu-chan!" she yelled, hugging him, and then dashing off before he could change his mind. Although, right now, his mind wasn't really functioning. It was in a kind of stand-by mode, as he just stared blankly at the space where she had been sitting._ Did she just call me Inu-chan and hug me???????????????_ He thought, while his eyes bugged out. He stayed like that for a few minutes (A/N: Didn't the almost EXACT same scene happen last chapter? Why is he bugging out now? Maybe it was just the shock of being hugged twice in one day.)

            He thought that he vaguely heard Kagome say good-bye and a door slam shut as she went to her doctor's appointment. Whatever that was.

            His reverie was broken only by a small paw batting at his ears as they twitched. Looking up, he saw the kitten, on the bed, swiping at them, stretched out as far as it could go to reach. Scowling, he moved his head away just as the kitten made another go at his ears, causing it to tumble from the bed (A/N: Inu!!! I'm shocked! How could you be so cruel to the sweet little cat?! *looks angry as she whacks Inu with her history book*)

            The kitten looked up at him and mewed, rubbing its head against his foot. He jerked his foot away from it, disturbed that it would dare to even get that close to him. Than he got the shock of a lifetime. The kitten stared at him for a moment more, than it began to chuckle. Yes, it CHUCKLED!!! Inuyasha backed away from it quickly: He was sure that this wasn't normal behavior for a cat!

            ~Tsuki's P.O.V. ~

            _Okay, now this is funny! I make one move toward dog-boy over there, and he acts like a frightened pup! Oh, he is so gonna pay for calling me Baka and making me fall off the bed! He grinned maliciously_. Time to have some fun! __

            Turning around, he stuck his tail up at dog-boy, the cat equivalent of flipping dog-boy off. He chuckled to himself again as he heard dog-boy start to growl. 

            ~Inuyasha's P.O.V. ~

            Inuyasha was howling mad! Not only did that little devil chuckle at him, it actually had the nerve to flip him off! _That's it! This feline's going down!_ And with that thought, he went chasing off after it. He chased it all over the house, before it finally ran outside. Inuyasha was finally closing in on it; with a giant leap, he tried to tackle the kitten. 

            WHAM!!!!!!!!!!!

            Staring up, dazed, Inuyasha tried to figure out what happened. Okay, he leapt at the cat, it dodged, and he went flying into a tree. Great. _I'm gonna skin that cat alive! He growled in his head._

            ~Tsuki's P.O.V. ~

            _This is hilarious! He watched as dog-boy struggled to get up. He looked the dizzy hanyou straight in the eye, and then walked off, knowing that the chase would begin again._

            ~Inu's P.O.V. ~

            Inuyasha screamed all the curse words he knew in his head. There were so many that it took him a couple of minutes to complete the list. He growled menacingly at the cat, his hackles rising. _This is war!!!!!!!!!!!!_ He chased off after it again.

            And this was the scene that met Kagome as she came home: She first saw Inuyasha, knocked out cold and soaking wet, lying at the base of the God Tree. On top of him, she saw Tsuki licking his paw contentedly, with a smug look on his face. She groaned; she could guess what occurred. She dragged Inuyasha back inside, with the help of her mother, who could not help but take a picture of the situation. She sighed, waiting for Inuyasha to wake up, and then she would force him to tell her what happened.

            ***************************************************************

            Yes, I know. Too short a chappie! I'll make the next one longer! And AoiTsuki, you'll be in it! I couldn't find a place to put you in this chapter, sorry! In the next chapter, Inuyasha will explain (in detail) what happened in the short time of thirty minutes that caused him to faint and become soaking wet. This'll be interesting. Also, here's another look at what will happen: Kagome's gonna take the kitten back into the Feudal Era (not willingly *hint hint*) and all the cast members will be delighted to see it (NOT!) I'll slip AoiTsuki in too. Things will get interesting. That's for sure!


	6. The NekoHanyou, Utsushineko!

            *is staring at her Gameboy Advance, playing Pokemon Sapphire* Bleep, Bleep. (Is making game noises) *the light at the top suddenly flashes amber and the game turns off* *Erica is staring angrily at it* What the hell?! I almost beat the damn game! *remembers something* Oh, no! I haven't saved at all! *runs around* Now I'm gonna have to start off from the beginning?!  *glares at the game* *Brat comes up and taps her on the shoulder* Brat: Aren't you supposed to be writing? Erica: *as Brat disappears (To Cat Silver: She and D.g. are back in their normal forms....They were cute as kittens....T_T) I guess I am.... *starts to type* *checks stats at ff.net* *reads reviews* *starts typing again* *to readers* There are some people out there who want me to write longer chapters and shorter review responses, *coughshadowspinnercough*, and I've decided that I will write my regular review responses, AND longer chapters! Isn't that wonderful? Also, I have a very frightening announcement to make; D.g. took her first story off ff.net *awww* and will soon be writing more crazy stuff concerning Inu-tachi, Brat, and I. GOD SAVE US ALL! Inu: What's the matter with a stupid story that some crazed fangirl wrote?! Erica: *glares at Inu* The fact that she likes flames may have something to do with it, or her obsession with death. *Inu visibly blanches* Inu: Oh. I think that I will be leaving now....*starts to edge toward door when suddenly D.g. appears* D.g.: FOUND YA! *grabs him and disappears to God knows where* Erica: I feel sorry for him; the unimaginable tortures he will go through.....*decides to take her mind off that* Okay! Now on to the Disclaimer and Review Responses!

            **Disclaimer: I own Inuyasha! *lawyers appear* HAHA! GOT YOU SUCKERS! *sprays them all with can of Lawyer B-Gone she got from Cat* *the lawyers turn into minions* YAY! MORE MINIONS FOR ME!!! *judge shows up again* Damn! I was about to get away with it too! I don't own Inuyasha....*judge disappears* Well, hey, at least I have some new minions!**

**            A/N: OH! I AM SOOOOO SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T UPDATED ALL WEEK! *begs* FORGIVE ME!  **

**            Review Responses: Special thanks to my fiftieth reviewer, Cat Silver! *mutters* You just got lucky...Or it could be your impeccable timing.....**

**            Sailor Saturn: Let me tell you this: You can bet that something will happen! Two cats in Feudal Era + One dog hanyou = CATastrophe!**

**            Katzztar: Buyo will make his entrance in due time...right now he just hates the new kitten and is staying away from it. The same thing happened with my cats.**

**            AoiTsuki: Yeah, I'll use your preferred name! Also, I would love it if you did a pic for this story! Some time in the future I'm gonna put up a website for my fanfics, and I'll put all my pics up there as well! I just got a scanner! YAY! Oh, and you'll be in this chapter.....Let's just say that you'll be spending some -quality- time with Tsuki.....MUAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!**

**            Hanamaru285: I'm updating as fast as time will allow! Not that I have much of it....T_T**

**            Arella: Yes, Dirt and Inu are good friends. Dirt has learned many new words since they met! ^_^ Yes, and the cat IS psycho. What can you expect from a cat that looks like Sesshoumaru? Truly, he does. Also has the attitude of Inu too! *believe me; I have the inspiration at home! The real Tsuki! His names Inu-Neko though. We call him Nike (as in the shoes) *hugs the kitten* MINE MINE MINE!!!!!!!**

**            SenshiofSilence: Naw, Shamoo is nothing like Tsuki sadly. More like Buyo. *holds up the heavy cat hopefully* Still want him?**

**            shadowspinner: *Glares at shadowspinner* There is NO way that I'll ever shorten my review responses! But I will make the chapters longer. My hands may hurt, but the satisfaction of reading the reviews is enough to drive away the pain. *is acting overdramatic* **

**            Cat Silver: Um, yeah, the stuff worked on them....And the armor was helpful too! They got pretty angry! *chuckles nervously* D.g. even tried to set fire to me! Humph! How mean! *pouts* I didn't MEAN for them to get turned into kittens; I just wanted to see what would happen if I used that spray stuff on non-lawyers....**

**            darksidemoonshine: Um, yeah, the cat is evil. Very evil. Like twisted, psychotic, crazed evil. Yeah, THAT evil! And when you have a cat THAT evil that wants revenge....Run away, FAR away!**

**            Sakura-chan88: Oh yeah! The cat is DEFINTELY demonic! Also, I'm having problems with my school too. Sadly, *sighs morosely* there are only a couple people at my school who like anime. Yes, pity me. I am the one marked out as a freak at my school, all because I like anime (which for some annoying reason they classify as Pokemon; they HATE Pokemon!) and because I am obsessed with Inuyasha. I have my own plushies, and everyday in Art class I draw Inu. I'm getting rather good at it! So, because hardly anyone likes anime here, I have no way to convince the school principal to allow me to read ff.net in Computer Skills. *whines* They all hate me! T_T Why won't anybody even consider that anime is a GOOD thing?! At least I have my friends Brat and D.g. with me. But I'm not so sure that that's a good thing....**

**            Inuyashas girlfriend: *grumbles* I'm writing, I'm writing....*shouts* IF ONLY THE F******* SCHOOL WOULD LEAVE ME ALONE AND ALLOW ME TO WRITE IN CLASS! *is breathing heavily* *composes herself* Hope you like my story. *all the while is thinking in head: 'I'm gonna show my English teacher that I can write....Give me a D will she?! HA! I'll show her! Mrs. Guacamole will bow down before my superior writing skills!'***

**            Thanks for all your wonderful reviews! Enjoy the next chapter of my fic!**

**Kitten ^^ Caboodle**

**Chapter 6: The Neko-Hanyou, Utsushineko!**

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Inuyasha regained consciousness about ten minutes later, his head pounding painfully. When he awoke, he found himself laid on the couch, with one very angry female above him. _Oh hell...._he thought,_ she looks angry!_

            "Inuyasha..." she growled out, her voice menacing, "What happened while I was gone, and I want the COMPLETE truth!"

            Inuyasha gulped; she sounded very angry. He stayed silent.

            "NOW!" she barked out, her voice commanding.

            He lowered his head in embarrassment and muttered his answer. "The cat flipped me off, and I chased it around the house," his voice grew lower as the story progressed, while Kagome was trying not to laugh, "After it made me run into the tree," at this Kagome started to snicker, "I chased it down the block toward where that pond is," his face was burning with humiliation, "It tricked me and made me fall into the pond, then I chased it back here and it tricked me again and made me run head on into the Goshinboku (A/N: Is that right? Is it boku or buko?). And now I'm here...."

            Kagome couldn't hold it in anymore; she started to laugh so hard that she couldn't breathe. "And here you were telling me that you weren't a dog!" Inuyasha got angry at this.

            "I'm not a dog! That cat flipped me off, that's why I chased it!" he glared at her, his eyes flashing with indignation.

            "Okay Inuyasha, I believe you," said Kagome, sitting down beside the offended hanyou, "But why would Tsuki, a kitten, have any reason to flip you off, and how could he manage it when he doesn't even have fingers?"

            "Because that cat is evil, and hates me. He also used his tail to flip me off," said Inuyasha, looking around for the kitten, "Where is it by the way?"

            "Tsuki's right now playing with Souta," explained Kagome, "He just got home from school."

            Then Inuyasha remembered why Kagome was gone in the first place. "What did the doctor say?" he asked, looking her in the eyes, "Will you be okay?"

            She nodded, "In fact, I am even well enough to go to the Sengoku Jidai (A/N: Is it spelled right? I'm really off it today, and I'm forgetting how to spell everything!)"

            He looked reluctant, "I'll let you go, but only if you promise me that you'll tell me if you start getting worse!" He said stubbornly.

            She nodded again, "I promise."

            Relieved, he asked, "So when should we go?"

            She sat up, "Right now!" She motioned over to where her backpack lay, already filled with provisions. Turning toward him,  she said, "Let's go!"

            ******************************************************

            Inuyasha and Kagome made their way to the well, with Inuyasha carrying the heavy bag. Jumping through, he could've sworn that he felt the bag move on its own; he shrugged the thought off, it was impossible!  
  


            ******************************************************

            ~Tsuki's P.O.V. ~

            He had been exploring in this huge dark space when it suddenly moved. _YAY! He thought, _I'm going somewhere with my Mistress! _He now referred to Kagome as his Mistress, because she was kind to him and took care of him. __I wonder where we're going? He thought._

            ******************************************************

            Kagome happily walked toward the village, while Inuyasha trudged behind, his head still pounding and he was carrying the backpack. Then, as they neared the village, a familiar fluff of fur had slammed into Kagome and had latched itself onto her arm.

            "KAGOME!" cried Shippo, hugging her happily, "You're finally back!" He then proceeded to ramble on about how boring it was without her.

            Kagome carefully set the kitsune down, and asked, "Are Miroku, Sango and Kirara back yet?"

            A bright eyed Shippo answered, "Yep!" as he led the way down the road to Kaede's hut. Inuyasha just walked behind them silently, intently staring at Kagome for the slightest hint of her fever returning. 

            As they neared the hut, a resounding slap could be heard, followed by the word "Hentai!" shouted angrily. The scene before the three consisted of one swirly eyed Miroku with a large red hand print on his face, and a furious looking Sango yelling at the unconscious houshi. 

            "Hi Sango!" called Kagome as she walked towards the demon exterminator, a large cheerful grin plastered on her face. Upon hearing her friend call out, Sango stopped yelling and ran over to Kagome, grinning happily.

            "Kagome! You're back! We were worried! Shippo said that you were sick, and you've been gone for three days! Are you okay now?" asked Sango in a worried voice.

            "Yes, yes, I'm fine," answered Kagome, setting her bag down and still smiling, "Now let's go find some Shikon shards!"

            "Um, Kagome?" asked Shippo.

            She turned toward the young fox-demon, "What is it Shippo?" she asked, concerned. 

            He pointed toward her backpack, which he had been routing through, looking for that tasty chocolate she had promised she would bring. Munching on the piece of chocolate that he had found, he spoke, "There's something in there."

            "What?" Kagome asked as she looked into the bag, "EEK!" she screamed as she jumped back, for a certain little, fuzzy white head had popped up from the depths of her backpack. "TSUKI?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY BACKPACK?!" she scolded as she picked the kitten up. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Inuyasha all stared at the kitten, and each had a different reaction to it.

            "Aw! It's so cute!" cried Sango as she stared at the little kitten. Reaching out, she held it when Kagome handed it to her. "What's its name?" she asked.

            "His name is Tsuki," Kagome said proudly, "Inuyasha thought of the name."

            "Kagome," said Miroku, "You are so good with the little kitten; you would make a good mother," Kagome blushed at his words, "So would you bear my child please?" he asked as he slipped his hand onto her backside. Her face grew redder; this time with anger.

            "HENTAI!" she screamed and whacked Miroku on the head with her backpack. He was knocked unconscious.

            "Kagome," asked Shippo in the cute little way that only he could do, "what are you going to do about it? Are you going to take him with us?" Kagome pondered his words as Kirara came up and sniffed the kitten. Kirara mewed and the kitten mewed back. Kirara and the kitten purred with each other, and Kirara started to wash the little kitten in Sango's arms.

            "Awww," said Sango again as she stared at the two cats with little hearts in her eyes.

            Inuyasha's response was totally and completely expected. "What the f*** is that little furball doing here?!" he yelled, glaring at the kitten, hoping to scare it back into Kagome's pack. 

            "Inuyasha," said Kagome in an-oh-so-familiar tone, "Sit."

            WHAM!!!!!!!!

            Kagome kneeled down next to him and spoke softly, "Inuyasha, please don't get upset. I'll find someone to take care of Tsuki while we're gone. That way, I won't have to leave Tsuki alone at my house and we won't have to bring him along, okay?" she asked pleadingly.

            "Feh," was Inuyasha's response. _Why, oh why does she use that voice with me? She knows that I can't argue with her when she speaks like that!_ He sighed.

            Kagome squealed, "Thank you Inu-chan!" and hugged him for the third time that day. Miroku and Sango exchanged looks while Shippo just stared uncomprehendingly at the two. He didn't understand it; why weren't Kagome and Inuyasha fighting like they normally do?

            Inuyasha got up, looking dazed, while Kagome started to bounce off happily to who-knows-where.

            "Lady Kagome," called Miroku, "where are you going?"

            "I know just the person to baby-sit Tsuki for me while we're gone," she answered and kept walking, while the group ran to catch up with her. Inuyasha was walking along, grumbling, and Sango was still carrying Tsuki.

            They walked for about fifty minutes, and then entered a nice shady meadow. In the meadow, near a clear-blue lake, sat a large house. It had a thatched roof, windows on all sides, and a porch out front. They followed along a path that led straight to the large house. All around the house were flowers of all kinds. Kagome walked up and knocked on the door, calling, "Utsushineko! It's me, Kagome!" when she received no answer, she guessed that Utsushineko wasn't in her house, and decided to look around for her.

            "Um, Kagome?" asked Inuyasha, "What are we doing here, and who's Utsushineko?" (A/N: AoiTsuki! You just HAD to pick a long name, didn't you?!)

            "Oh, I forgot, you wouldn't know her," replied Kagome, "she's a hanyou that I saved a couple months back, when you were off with Kikyo," she said the last part with a hint of sadness, "She's a neko-hanyou, kinda, and will be the perfect person to take care of Tsuki while I'm away." (A/N: *Dodges flying instruments of doom* Gomen! I just had to put Kikyo in my fic, to liven it up. (no pun intended) Don't worry, all you Kikyo haters out there will get what you want! *cackles* It'll be in the next chapter, I think.)

            Inuyasha flinched inside at the sadness and despair that had been in Kagome's voice when she said those words. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo just looked at him pointedly, as if accusing him. Which they were. He looked away, ashamed. He hadn't meant to hurt her feelings like that. If only he could tell her how he really felt; but he didn't know how she would react. He didn't want to be rejected. So he kept his emotions a secret, though at certain times it was hard.

            Inuyasha was brought back out of his musings by Kagome saying, "Let's go find her!" And they each split up to find the mysterious hanyou.

            Kagome wandered through the trees that were in Utsushineko's vast garden, thinking forlornly to herself. _The look on his face when I mentioned Kikyo, it was so sad. Was he sad because my feelings had been hurt, or because he missed Kikyo? Definitely the latter,_ she thought sarcastically to herself, _why would he have any reason to worry over a stupid shard detector like me? _She was jerked out of her despairing thoughts by a certain voice that belonged to a certain hanyou.

            "Kagome," he asked, hesitantly, "what's wrong?"

            "Nothing," she responded, avoiding eye contact with him.

            "Kagome, I know there's something wrong with you, so tell me," demanded Inuyasha as he stood in front of her.

            (A/N: WARNING! FLUFF IS AHEAD! I REPEAT! FLUFF **IS** AHEAD!)

            She stopped in front of him, looking down at the ground. She didn't answer.

            "Damn it Kagome! Look at me! Please, tell me what's wrong!" he yelled, getting angry at the thought that she didn't trust him after all this time.

            "Inuyasha," she asked, her voice soft, "am I just a shard detector to you?"

            "Huh?" was Inuyasha's smart reply. (A/N: *rolls eyes sarcastically* Riggghhht.) 

            "Am I just a shard detector to you? Someone to be thrown away whenever Kikyo comes? Will you abandon me once you get the Shikon no Tama?" she repeated, tears starting to fall from her face. Inuyasha looked at her, confusion showing on his face along with worry. What had he done to make her cry this time?

            "Kagome," said Inuyasha in an oddly gentle voice, "I-I would never do that to you. I would never abandon you."

            "What about when Kikyo comes? You love her, don't you? I know you do. That's why you always forget about me when she's near. To you, I'm nothing more than her replacement, her shadow. To you, I'm nothing compared to her," Kagome said, finally saying to him the thoughts that she had kept locked up in her heart. Her tears started to fall faster, and she turned away from him. 

            "Kagome," he said in a stern voice, "none of that is true."

            She started to walk away when she felt two powerful arms snake around her waist, turn her around and pull her into a deep embrace. She looked up at Inuyasha's face, shocked. She saw in his eyes pain and sadness, regret and...love? Was that love she saw reflected in his amber orbs?

            "Kagome, you are not Kikyo's replacement. You are Kagome. You are your own person, and that person is who I-" he paused hesitantly, "Love." He looked away, afraid that she would reject him.

            "But what about Kikyo?" asked Kagome in small, overcome voice. Did he just admit to her that he loved her?!

            "Kagome," he sighed, "the debt I owe to Kikyo is nothing more than a debt. I haven't realized it till lately, but I don't love Kikyo anymore. I'm not sure I ever did. My only wish is that her soul may be put to rest."

            She looked up into his eyes, amazed, and saw that he spoke the truth. She couldn't say anything; she was too overcome with joy to speak.

            "Kagome?" he asked, worried that she wouldn't feel the same way. For a response, he felt two arms wrap themselves around his neck, and a mouth press against his own. For a few precious seconds, he was totally at peace. When they both pulled back, breathless, the first thing that Kagome said was, "I love you."

            He looked happily into her eyes, "Really?" he asked. She nodded. "Well then, I love you too." He grinned and pulled her in for another kiss. That was easier to say than he thought it would be! (A/N: YESSS!!! *punches hand into the air* FINALLY! *gag* But I think that that was too much fluff. I feel sick....)

            Unbeknownst to the couple, quite a few people were watching the events unfolding. Miroku, always the hentai, could not help but shout out, "Go INUYASHA!" Before he was pulled down and told to shut up. Inuyasha and Kagome pulled out of their kiss, and looked towards where the bushes had talked, in surprise.

            "Miroku," Inuyasha growled, sniffing the air, "You are SO DEAD!" and with that statement, he proceeded to chase after a certain lecherous monk who had started running away from the furious hanyou. Kagome angrily looked toward where she knew Sango was, and started to stalk over to the demon exterminator menacingly.

            "Sango," she too growled and chased after the demon exterminator.

            *******************************************************

            Later, back in front of Utsushineko's house, the group waited. Shippo was playing with Kirara and Tsuki, Inuyasha and Kagome had fallen asleep under a shady tree (holding each other), and Sango and Miroku were tending to their wounds after being caught by both Inuyasha and Kagome. Groaning, Sango lay down onto the soft grass, wishing that they hadn't been caught spying. Miroku lay next to her, echoing her moans with his own.

            "Houshi," she said with gritted teeth, "do not EVER try to convince me EVER again that we should spy on those two."

            "Yes Sango," said Miroku as he stealthily slid his hand onto her front. 

            "Hentai!" Sango screamed and slapped him in the face, and then kicked him away from her, causing more groans to be issued out from the both of them.

            "Um, what are you all doing at my house?" asked a voice from a few feet away. Inuyasha bolted awake and held the half-awake Kagome protectively against him. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara all looked toward the new visitor. She had short blue hair and blue eyes, and was about five and a half feet tall. Atop her head twitched two cat ears, and winding behind her was a long, fluffy blue tail. (A/N: For those of you who didn't know, that's AoiTsuki.)

            "Um," was all anyone could say. Except for Kagome that is. Standing up, with Inuyasha still holding her protectively, she said, "Utsushineko! Hi! It's been a long time since I last saw you!"

            The cat hanyou looked at Kagome in surprise, "Kagome, is that you?! It's so good to see you! Come on into my house!" And with that she and Kagome walked into the house, chatting happily about recent events. Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Sango followed the two apprehensively, Sango carrying Tsuki in her arms.

            Inside, Sango could already hear Utsushineko meeting with Miroku.

            "HENTAI!!!!!!" yelled an enraged neko-hanyou's voice, followed with a loud 'SMACK!'. Sango shook her head; some things never change.

            ************************************************

            YAY! THIS CHAPTER IS FINALLY OUT! *does a dance around the house to the music of YMCA* I'm soooo happy! REVIEW PLEASE! *goes back to dancing* *singing* It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A! *Brat appears holding her hands over her ears and promptly knocks Erica unconscious* Brat: *shivers* I HATE that god-awful music! *disappears*


	7. A Feudal Catfight

            YAY! I'm sick today! That means that I can type this up! WHOHOO! NO HOMEWORK! *cough* Argh, but my voice sounds like I breathed in a bunch of helium! I hate having a sore throat! *sigh* I guess that's my punishment for getting out of school... It seems that whenever I'm sick I miss something really important or I have the worst day. I would just like a moment to say this: Kenshin and Ashitaka rock! *cough* Okay, now that I have THAT outta my system, on to the Disclaimer and Review Responses! Also, there will be mention of a certain cursed springs here. Bet you can guess from where! Oh, and this chapter will mainly concern just Utsushineko and Tsuki. *snicker* WARNING: You know those little chocolate eggs filled with caramel that you can get at Easter? Yeah, well, I just ate about fifty of those. 

            **Disclaimer: *door bell rings* Who is it? *guy outside says that he has a package for me* Goody! *starts to open the package that the guy left for her* Hey! It says that I should not open this unless I own Inuyasha. *shrugs* Oh well. *goes back to opening package* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!   *a lawyer has just popped out of the package* HOLY S***!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *lawyer looks pointedly at me* Lawyer: You do not own Inuyasha. I'm gonna have to sue you. Erica: *looks worried* You're right, I don't own Inuyasha, and so you can't sue me. Lawyer: *disappears in a ball of flames* *Erica watches as he turns to ashes* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I HATE LAWYERS! THEY'RE FREAKS! *pouts and stomps on the lawyer's ashes* TAKE THAT! *gives the ashes one final stomp before moving on to the Review Responses***

            **Review Responses:******

**            Holy-Psychic-Vulpix: Okay, now you're scaring me. **

**            SenshiofSilence: Aw, ya don't want Shamoo? Darn. *mutters* Now how am I gonna get rid of him?!**

**            Tannim Mayonaka: Yeah, I thought that when Miroku shouted "Go Inuyasha" was pretty funny too! **

**            shadowspinner: You're right. Many things don't change. Teachers' tempers are one of them. I was working on this story yesterday in gym, cause it was a free day, and my P.E. teacher came up and asked me what I was doing writing when I was supposed to be doing 'physical exercise'. I told him that it was a free day, so I could do whatever I wanted. Then he gave me a lecture on why I should be doing other stuff instead of writing. During the whole lecture, he referred to himself in the third person. I asked him why he kept referring to himself in the third person; an innocent question, don't you think? Well, then he got angry and made me run a mile around the track! *grumbles* It was just a question...**

**            AoiTsuki: *looks innocent* *coughs nervously* Well.....Um....You gave me a good idea for the story at least....You might not like me anymore once you read this chapter's title.....**

**            Sailor Saturn: Ew. I would NEVER make a lemon! *shudders* So you don't have to worry about that!**

**            Hanamaru285: *grumbles* I hate my teachers. If they would just let me write in class, I could get these chapters up a whole lot sooner! I only have an hour a day to myself for writing!**

**            Jack: Thanks! It's okay that you can't give a funny review. *looks proud* Not all of us have what it takes to make a funny review. *Brat shows up and whacks her in the head* Brat: Hey Miss High and Mighty, you couldn't give a funny review if you tried! The only things that make it funny are me and D.g.! Erica: What the hell are you doing here?! Brat: Duh. We live in the same house with all the rest of our family. Baka. Erica: Grrrr....Why do I have to have cousins like you and D.g.?!**

**            Sakura-chan88: Utsushineko didn't kill Miroku because Kagome was there, and she stopped her from bashing him into a pulp. And yes, I did see that one episode. I have it on tape. YAY FOR ME! Oh, and don't fall out of your chair laughing anymore. I wouldn't want one of my reviewers to get detention and flame me for it. It happened once before. **

**            Also, for any of you reading this, I have one question. Ya see, I'm stuck here in ****America**** with no money to buy imported subtitles of Inuyasha (I only get them on Christmas and my B-day) and I was wondering, does ANYBODY out there know how the series ends?! I'm going crazy wondering! Just a simple 'happy ending' or 'sad ending' would be a good enough answer for me! PLEASE TELL ME! *runs around in circles from the suspense* Okay, now that I got that out, on to the story! (AoiTsuki, please don't hurt me for this chapter! *begs on two knees*)**

**Kitten Caboodle**

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**Chapter 7: A Feudal Catfight**

            "So, you're going on another shard hunt?" asked Utsushineko.

            "Yes," said Kagome, "but I need you to do me a favor while I'm gone. You see, my new kitten followed me to this era, and instead of taking him with us, or leaving him alone at my house, I thought that maybe you could watch him for me?"

            Utsushineko waved her clawed hand nonchalantly, "No problem. I still owe you for saving my life from that huge snake demon."

            "Oh thank you!" exclaimed Kagome. 

            "By the way, there's something I want to talk to you about," Utsushineko said, looking at Kagome, "ALONE." She looked pointedly at the others. All of them took the hint, except for Inuyasha, and left. Both girls glared at him and he finally got the message. After he too was gone, Utsushineko turned back to Kagome. "So, was that the hanyou you were crying your eyes out over?"

            Kagome nodded, smiling happily.

            "You don't look too sad anymore, did something happen?" Again Kagome nodded. "Good, because he is HOT. I'm glad you two finally got together. By the way, what is with that monk?!"

            "Lecherousness runs in his family," Kagome explained, "I'm just glad he hasn't asked you 'the question' yet."

            "What question?" asked Utsushineko as she cocked her head curiously.

            "Nothing, nothing," Kagome mumbled. Deciding to change to a new subject, she asked, "So, have you gotten rid of the curse yet?"

            "Nope," she replied, frowning, "I can't find a cure for it. Now I have another reason to hate rain..."

            "Oh well," said Kagome as she smiled. She then noticed that the afternoon was getting late. "We should get going now if we want to find the shard while there's still daylight. It's far off to the west. I want to get to the general area before dark," she turned back to Utsushineko, "We'll probably be back in a day or two." They both got up. Kagome picked up Tsuki from where he was resting on a cushioned chair and said, "You be good while I'm gone." She kissed him on his furry little forehead and put him back down. She walked out of the house toward where her companions were waiting. 

            Utsushineko followed her out to say goodbye to all of them. Once they were done with all the 'see you laters' and 'we'll be back soons', Miroku sidled over to her side. Stepping in front of Utsushineko, he looked her straight in the eye. In a tone of all seriousness, he asked, "Lady Utsushineko, will you bare my child?" She just stared at him for a minute, then her brain finally registered what he had said. Also the fact that his hand was where it shouldn't be. 

            "DIE HENTAI!" she yelled as she pounced on him, her eyes flashing angrily as she started to beat him to within an inch of his life. Kagome and Sango managed to pull her off of him. Getting up, he looked ready to bolt out of there. His head had a nasty cut on it, and his whole face was bruised. As the group left, Kagome and Sango could not help but snicker at his misfortune.  

            With one final wave at the group's retreating backs, Utsushineko walked back into the house where a certain little kitten waited for her. She quickly spotted him lounging on the same chair Kagome had been sitting in. She sat down opposite him. "Well, I guess it's just us now." If she hadn't been looking away, she would've seen the evil smirk that alighted the young kitten's face. (A/N: *coughs nervously* AoiTsuki, please forgive me for this next part...*edges away from the suspicious reader*)

            She got up and started to walk away. He got up and followed her. She looked at him curiously. "Are you hungry Tsuki? I can make you some cat food if you want." As she was going off to prepare them both lunch, she felt a painful tug on her long blue tail. Whirling around, she found that Tsuki had latched his claws into her tail, and was playing with it rather roughly. "Ouch, stop that!" She cried, wincing as his claws dug deeper into her sensitive tail. "That hurts!" She pulled him off and set him back down on the ground, curling her tail up over her shoulder to where he couldn't reach it. She felt a prick on her leg and looked down to find him clawing his way up towards her shoulder. "LET GO!" She pulled him off again and set him on a high cabinet that was in the kitchen. "HA! Now you can't go anywhere!" She smirked triumphantly as she walked away, but the grin faded as she felt something heavy land on top of her head. "Owowowowowowowowowowowowow!" she yelled as she felt Tsuki start to chew on her ears. She desperately pulled him off and set him on the cabinet once more, careful to get out of jumping range. She had a bad feeling about this kitten. The little kit glared at her from his high perch as she started to build a cage made out of pieces of furniture. Once she was sure that it was adequate enough to hold the little monster, she dropped him in. "And stay in there!" she scolded as she began to regret ever having agreed to this. "Kagome is in for an earful when she comes back," the angry hanyou muttered as she marched over to the other side of the room opposite Tsuki. 

            Sparing a quick glance over her shoulder, she was surprised to find that he had somehow gotten out, and now sat calmly on the floor, staring at her with those bright golden eyes of his. "Eep!" She REALLY didn't like this. Then to further her fright, she heard him chuckle. "GHAAAA!!!!!!!! IT'S POSSESSED!" she screamed as she ran out of the house. This was too much for her to handle!

            Looking back, she spotted a distinct white form following her out the open door. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! KAMI SAVE ME!" she ran faster as the seemingly possessed kitten gained on her. "AHHHH!!! SOMEBODY HELP!!"

******************************************

            Sesshoumaru could hear lots of yelling coming toward where he and his little band of groupies were resting. He sighed as he rubbed his temples. He already had a headache from listening to all of Rin's yelling after Jaken stepped on a flower she was going to pick. It was just a flower, yet she still made so much fuss over it! In the end, he had to threaten Rin and pummel Jaken to get them both to shut up. Why did he ever agree for the little human girl to come with him?! And now all this screaming was worsening his already irate mood.

            He growled as the yelling drew nearer, and decided that he was going to smite whoever was causing that racket! Jaken stood up from where he had been sitting and nursing his injuries. Rin watched in awe as Sesshoumaru pulled out his whip-like lightsabor (A/N: Hey, can you blame me? I just watched Star Wars Episode 2! I've got Jedais on the mind. ^_^) 

            "Wow Fluffy! Are you gonna fight the person that is making all that noise? Can Rin help? Who is that person? Why are they yelling? How do you make your weapon appear like that? Are you ever gonna kill Jaken?" were some of the questions Rin asked as she looked at her idol. 

            "Don't call me Fluffy. And yes, I'm going to fight. No, you cannot help. I don't know who the person is or why they're yelling. My demonic powers can make my whip appear. And maybe I will kill Jaken." As you can tell, he was used to answering all her questions. Jaken gulped at his last answer.

            "I'm not gonna live much longer..." Jaken muttered just as the screaming person came into view. It looked to be a demon with bright blue hair, blue clothes, and what looked like blue eyes, but he couldn't really tell from this distance. (A/N: *Music starts playing in the background* I'm blue da boo de da boo di, da boo de da boo di, da boo de da boo di, da boo de da boo di, da boo de da boo di! ^_^ I love that song!) 

            "Is it one of the Smurf demons?" asked Jaken to his lord.

            "No, she is much to tall to be a Smurf demon. And she does not have the blue skin common to their race. (A/N: Couldn't help but put that in there. ^_^) I believe that she is a neko."

            He watched as the alleged neko-hanyou ran straight towards them, still screaming.

            "IT'S POSSESSED!" she yelled. Sesshoumaru ignored her and prepared to kill her when she suddenly jumped into his arms.

            "SAVE ME!" she yelled again, clinging to him for all she was worth. He tried to pry her off to no avail. Sighing in defeat, he looked to the direction she had come from, but all he spotted was a pure white kitten with golden eyes running towards them. His cocked an eyebrow at this. Was that little kitten the thing that was causing the girl in his arms to be so afraid?  He looked down at her face which was hidden in his kimono. She was mumbling incoherently about kittens and evil things. He looked back to where the kitten should have been, but instead found that it had disappeared. 

            "My lord," cried Jaken as the toad stepped back in surprise, "It is on you my lord!" Sesshoumaru didn't know what to make of this until he felt a painful sting coming from his tail. Looking to his right shoulder to where his tail hung over, he was surprised to find that the kitten had climbed up on him without warning and had decided to play with his tail by clawing and biting at it.

            "I will kill you," was all he said before he slashed at the kitten, which jumped off before the blow ever came. On the ground in front them it sat, smirking at them. Sesshoumaru was about to decimate the evil creature when it suddenly started to laugh. He stepped back in surprise at the low, throaty sound the kitten made as it stared at him with its unblinking gaze. Jaken and Rin hid behind Sesshoumaru in fright. The thing started to advance toward them, its eyes never leaving Sesshoumaru's gaze. Involuntarily, Sesshoumaru stepped back as the kitten started to grow bigger, its claws lengthening, and its body changing. This wasn't right! It was a kitten! Not a demon! The girl, still in his arms, let out a muffled scream of fright. The kitten continued growing. Sesshoumaru attacked the 'kitten' with his whip, but it didn't even affect the gigantic cat! He decided that they should get out of there while they could, and created a cloud-thingy for them to fly off in. Rin and Jaken still clutched at his robes, and the girl's hold hadn't lessened any. He sighed. This wasn't a very good day. Looking behind him, he was frightened to find the 'kitten' giving chase. Oh good. Now it could fly. It couldn't get any worse! It started to rain. It just got worse. He looked down as the girl in his arms suddenly gave a startled yip when the first droplets of rain hit them. Hs eyes widened in surprise. What he thought was a neko-hanyou had suddenly changed into an inu-hanyou! She shivered and looked up at him. 

            "Um, hi?" She gave a weak smile. "I told you it was possessed." And with that she fainted.

            He sighed for the third time that day. Great. Now he had a transforming neko-hanyou stuck to him and a giant, flying, possessed kitten following him, and it was impervious to all of his attacks. What did he do to deserve this?!

*************************************

            Well, I had to say that I enjoyed writing this chapter! Oh, and sorry that I didn't get this chapter uploaded yesterday; my computer was bugging on me! Please don't flame me too bad! Also, for those of you who haven't, read Becky Tailweaver's "The White Dog", it's a great story! But, she hasn't updated for a long time, and I think that if she got a lot of reviews she would put the next chapter up! Well, until next time, Ja ne! *runs away before the angry AoiTsuki and readers could catch up to her*


	8. For Reasons Unexplained

            AHHHHHHHH! NO MORE GRAMMAR! NO MORE GRAMMAR! *runs around in circles as her pile of English homework grows bigger* NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! *stops* *plops sown and pants wearily* That isn't doing me any good...*looks at the huge stack of papers* Maybe if I really believe, then it will go away. *believes really hard* *looks again* Damn! It's still there! *sigh* Oh well, I HAVE AN EXCUSE! *cackles* I have to update for all my reviewers! I HATE TEACHERS AND SMURFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*giggles* That should be good enough of an excuse! Okay, on to the real author's note!

            Okay, here's what is really what I wanted to say! THANK YOU! You're all so kind! Hope you like this next chappie! Oh, and AoiTsuki, mkitty-chan has asked if there will be some Utsushineko/Fluffy romance in this fic. To all you reviewers out there, tell me if you want these two to be paired up! *grins evilly* Sadly, AoiTsuki, you get no say in the matter. MUAHAHAHAHHAA! Okay, maybe you do. But remember, majority rules! 

            **Disclaimer: ..........Haven't you learned by now? I DO own Inuyasha! DUH! *lawyers appear* I-I mean, I DON'T own Inuyasha! Heh heh. *watches as lawyers disappear again* They are not even of our species. THE ALIENS ARE ATTACKING!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!**

**            Review Responses:**

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**            shadowspinner: Yep. Murphy's Law is the only law. 'If anything can go wrong, it will, at the worst possible moment.'  This is what is always applied to my computer. And my homework. And my luck. Oh, and your cat is no different than all of mine. Their favorite place to flop is on top of the computer. It's like watching a water bed. It ripples! *pushes cats off the computer top* GET OFF YOU FREAKS!**

**            Hanamaru285: Funny it is. But comprehensible it is not. ^_^ j/k! I'll explain what's wrong with psycho kitty in the next chappie!**

**            SenshiofSilence: Don't worry! Somebody actually wants Shamoo! ^_____^ I'm so HAPPY! Oh, and I'll explain everything in the next chappie! Maybe.**

**            Kimi: *cough*crazyreviewer*cough***

**            AoiTsuki: I'll be sure to include your alter identity's er-personality. ^_^ Also, warning, I'm thinking about making this an Utsushineko/Fluffy romance too. Review me and say what you think. Of course, I could always decide to go against your wishes if you don't like Fluffy in THAT way. ^_^ I love being sadistic. MUAHHAHAAHAHAHHAHA!**

**            Kagome5: You did? That's great! *mutters angrily* But WHY exactly won't she update?! At least I manage to update once a week, but come on! It takes her a whole three months to! *goes back to evil muttering***

**            Holy-Psychic-Vulpix: You'll take SHAMOO?! THANK YOU!! ^_____^**

**I'll send him to you once I figure out how to fit him in the scanner...**

**            Sakura-chan88: *bows* Thank you, thank you! I decided that Fluffy couldn't be THAT emotionless! I mean, nobody that cute can't have emotions! Oh, and I believe that Utsushineko means Shadowcat. I asked Jeeves about it. But you're gonna have to ask AoiTsuki if you really want to know. **

**            mkitty-chan: *laughs maniacally* MUAHAHAHHAA! Maybe, maybe not! Depends! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**            Happy Youkai: MUAHAHAHAHAHA! I truly am evil! BWAHAHAHAHA! Read on and you'll find out why! *laughs uncontrollably at the horrors she has in store for Fluffy***

**            AND GUESS WHAT?! I'VE DECIDED TO POST QUOTES! COOL!**

**Okay, Quote of the Day (QOD): **

**As quoted by Inuyasha, "I eat, gobble, snack, and devour; therefore I am." **

**            Send in any funny quotes you may have that can be applied to Inu characters!**

**Kitten Caboodle******

Chapter 8: For Reasons Unexplained

            Inuyasha had just killed a demon, and yet again, it didn't have a jewel shard! Kagome sighed. This would take forever. They were all busy destroying a huge clan of blue skinned demons which Inuyasha called Smurfs. She could sense the jewel shard among the throbbing throng, but could not locate it. Every time they thought that they had killed the one that had it, the shard would appear somewhere else! Everybody's patience was growing thin. She shot another arrow into the blue depths of the Smurfs.

            "WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!" Inuyasha yelled as he killed another one, only to have two more pop into its place.

            "Inuyasha," called Miroku, "this isn't working! We need another plan!"

            "Can't you see I know that?!" Inuyasha growled back, smiting another one of the singing monstrosities. Their music was really starting to get to him. His ears were laid back against his skull, and he growled menacingly at any who came within range.

            "I know how we can defeat these demons," stated Sango, slicing her giant boomerang through a pack of the demons, "but we need some help for it!" Inuyasha growled at this.

            "What kind of help?"

            *********************************************************

            This was possibly the worst day of his life. First, he gets a gargantuan migraine from a petty argument, then he has a transforming hanyou stuck to him, and then he has a giant possessed CAT chasing after him, and none of his attacks work on the beast. And now, he is stuck in the rain. _This day could not get any worse_.  All of a sudden, a blinding white light surrounded the group flying on the cloud, and they, along with the cat, disappeared to who knows where. _It just got worse. _

            He awoke from consciousness to find that large warmth rested on his chest from where he lay. Looking up, he found the hanyou to be asleep on him. He growled, and then pushed the girl off. Standing up, he surveyed their surroundings. They were in a large wooden house with the smell of the cat er-dog hanyou all over. From the looks of it, they were in the hanyou's house. His brow wrinkled in confusion._ Why are we in her house?! He scowled, and then checked to see if Rin was alright. He just ignored Jaken. Off into the corner, he saw Rin curled up into a little ball, sleeping. His gaze softened, and then hardened again. He realized with a start that there was another scent near them, that cat demon's scent! He looked quickly around. Stepping through the open doorway, he stopped dead in his tracks. In front of him was the kitten back in its original form. It glared up at him, and then asked, "What have you all done with my mistress?"_

            He just stared. It did not smell like a demon, but it obviously was.

            "Your mistress?"

            The little cat just glared harder at him, and started to growl, "Yes, my mistress. And I ask yet again, where is she?!" Its eyes started to flash red.

            "I do not know who your mistress is, or where she is."

            "Then I have no use for you," and with that statement, the cat started to grow bigger again. It swiped at him, and he jumped away and ran back into the room. He shut the door, and stuck Tenseiga into the doorframe. His sword had the same magical properties as his hanyou half-brother's. It would keep the youkai out for the time being. 

            ******************************************************

            "NO FUCKING WAY IN HELL!!!!" yelled Inuyasha as they continued to slaughter hundreds of the demons. His left eyebrow was twitching, and he was flexing his claws, eager to wrap them around a certain monk's neck. 

            "Inuyasha, it's the only way," sighed Miroku, knowing that Inuyasha would not take too kindly to the idea, "We NEED Kouga for this! It's the only solution we can come up with!"

            "No," Inuyasha growled firmly, "I will NOT ask for help from that wimpy wolf!"

            "Inuyasha," said Kagome in a you-better-agree-or-face-the-consequences type of voice. "We WILL ask Kouga for help, and you WILL be the one to do it!"

            Inuyasha just grumbled out a "Feh!", and nodded glumly.

            "Okay, then let's get out of here for the time being!" shouted Sango as they all ran away to regroup. Kagome looked back from atop Inuyasha's back to where the Smurfs still sang and went about as if nothing had ever happened.

            "Freaky..." she muttered. Then in a louder voice said, "Let's go check up on Tsuki while we're at it!" Inuyasha just grumbled beneath her perch. "I hate cats."

            ****************************************************

            Sesshoumaru looked up from where he sat, and sighed again. The cat beast was still at it, growling and lunging at the door, trying to break through. Everyone else was awake by now. The only one who wasn't silent was Rin.

            "Fluffy-sama! Can Rin go out to play with kitty?"

            He looked at the young girl, alarmed, and nearly shouted out, "NO!"

            She pouted, "Why cannot Rin go out to play with kitty?"

            "It's dangerous. That cat is a menace. It would rip you to shreds."

            "Oh," she said softly, and looked to where the newest member of their group rested. "What is your name?"

            Utsushineko smiled at the girl, "My name's Utsushineko. And yours is Rin, right?"

            Rin nodded happily. Then noticed that the cat-turned-dog hanyou was once again a cat. "How do you change like that?"

            "I fell in a cursed spring, and I change into a inu-hanyou whenever cold water hits me, and change back when hot water hits me. Or when I fall unconscious. In fact, I met this boy Ranma who had the same problem. Sadly for him, he changes into a girl, and can't change back if he falls unconscious. Only when he's hit with hot water, the poor guy."

            "He changes into a girl?" exclaimed Rin, giggling uncontrollably. 

            "Yep."

            "Rin!" said Jaken (A/N: *growling* DIE TOAD!), "Stop making so much noise! Lord Sesshoumaru-sama is trying to think of a way to get us out of here!"

            Suddenly Sesshoumaru spoke up, "Utsushineko, you were the one who was running away from this cat beast, right?" he asked as he gestured to where the poundings were coming from, "Then you must know what it wants."

            "Hai, I do. That cat's name is Tsuki, and he's the pet of one of my friends. Her name is Kagome."

            Sesshoumaru's eyes widened at this, he had heard that name before! Wasn't she that human wench who traveled with his hanyou half-brother? "Does this Kagome perchance travel in the company of a hanyou by the name of Inuyasha? Along with a monk, demon exterminator, and a kitsune?"

            Utsushineko nodded, surprised, "Do you know her?"

            "I know her through my past encounters with her. She travels with my half-brother, Inuyasha."

            "Inuyasha's your half-brother?! NO WAY!" She bubbled happily, "It looked like you were related to him, but I couldn't be sure. No wonder! You're just as cute as him too!" Sesshoumaru just stared at the girl in shock. Him, the Lord of the Western Lands, CUTE?! It was too unbearable to imagine. Utsushineko saw the effect that her statement had had on the youkai, and quickly amended, "I mean, you're way past cute! You're positively gorgeous! The personification of handsome!" This just shocked him even more extremely. WHO WAS THIS PERSON?! Thankfully, Jaken bumped into the conversation.

            "How could you even think of speaking like that to Lord Sesshoumaru-sama?! Hanyou wench! How dare you!"

            "What's it to you? TOAD!" she growled back, getting angry. Her fur was standing on end, and she was hissing. Her tail was also fluffed up, and for a second, Sesshoumaru had the mad desire to smooth it down. He mentally shook himself in horror. What was he thinking?!

            "You, a hanyou, are not fit to speak to Lord Sesshoumaru-sama in such a way!"

            "Well EXCUSE ME for being honest!"

            "Witch!"

            "Wrinkly green thing!"

            The fighting was delayed for a minute as a hole broke in the ceiling, and rain dropped through and landed on Utsushineko. She transformed into an inu-hanyou right before their very eyes!

            "HA! I'll kill you TOAD for speaking to me like that!" She yelled as she brandished her claws angrily, and bared her teeth in a snarl. She lunged at Jaken and clawed at him. 

            "AHHHHHHHHH!" screamed Jaken as he frantically tried to escape, yelling like a girl. A girly girl.

            "ENOUGH!" shouted Sesshoumaru as he growled in anger. "SHUT UP!"

            All three of them stopped what they were doing and looked at the lord in wonder. He had never lost his temper before! This was amazing in itself. But the fact that he was actually showing emotion on his face was astonishing.

            "I am sorry my Lord," begged Jaken as he pleaded for forgiveness.

            "Is Fluffy-sama okay?" asked Rin, worried for her protector. He appeared to be in a lot of pain. His response was just silence. He had gone back to his former self. But Utsushineko saw through this, and walked over to him.

            "Sesshoumaru, did that cat claw you anywhere?" was her question. He nodded slowly. "Oh, that's not good! You see," she smiled weakly at this, "I believe that Tsuki has poisonous claws."

            Sesshoumaru just stared at her. "And why would you think that?"

            "Well, he managed to scratch me on the arm as I was running, and the cut turned a deep purple color. It was obviously poisonous."

            "...."

            "And I was knocked out from the poison, even though he wasn't transformed. So if he clawed you while he was transformed, then well....." She didn't finish.

            "So you didn't just faint from shock?"

            She looked angry at this suggestion, "HELL NO! I'm not THAT wimpy! I do admit that it was very scary to see the kitten I was babysitting suddenly attack me, though."

            Sesshoumaru just sighed. _I hate my life._ It was just one bad thing after another. Then a thought popped into his mind.

            "Do you know how we got here?"

            "Actually, yes, I do. I used a teleportation spell right before I fainted from POISON. Not fright!" Obviously she was still hung up on his suggestion that she would faint from fright.

            He raised an eyebrow at this, "Teleportation device?"

            "Yeah. I got it from my grandma's friend's daughter's son's uncle's co-worker's cousin twice removed."

            "What did you just say?!"

            "Never mind. It is a long story. Anyways, we should get that wound tended to. It must be really painful." 

            "Humph! I, the Lord of the Western Lands, need no treatment!" he spat out the last word in disdain. She just looked at him, unconvinced, and grinned evilly.

            "If that's the way you wanna play, then fine! We'll play it your way!" She advanced upon him, still grinning, and held between her hands a piece of rope made out of light. "This is one of my special abilities. Cool, isn't it?" she asked as she twirled the end. 

            He just looked at her warily. He really didn't like the way this was going! She stretched the rope taut between her hands, and stalked toward him with a strange glint in her eyes.

            "MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" she started to cackle. "I'm gonna treat that wound one way or another..."

            *****************************************************

            Inuyasha sighed as he bounded off through the woods, searching for Kouga, with Kagome holding on to his back. Why did he have to do this?! WHY?! FOR KAMI'S SAKE, WHY?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            *******************************************************

            ^_^ It seems that the two brothers are in a lot of trouble, ne? MUAHAHAHA! Review! I'll make the next chappie super long if I get ten reviews this time around! Oh, and in the next chappie, everything will be explained! And questions you shoudl be asking right now are: What does Inuyasha have to do? What is Utsushineko going to do to Fluffy? Who is that weird kitten youkai really? Why am I even reading these questions? Now where did I put that pocky? What is the meaning of the universe? Who stole my underwear?! Why do dogs bark? And last but not least, Am I going to review or not?! SO GET TO IT! NOW!


	9. That is One EVIL Cat!

            *glares at the readers* I hate you....I didn't ACTUALLY expect to get more than ten reviews on the last chappie.....*sigh* But a deal's a deal, and I guess that I will make this chappie really long. At least fifteen pages. Also, for those of you who would like, I have drawn some pictures of my two friends (D.g. and Brat) and am willing to send them out to anyone who asks. I turned them into anime characters!! LOL! For those of you who DO want them, tell me on a scale of ten how good they are. If you like the way I draw, I'll be glad to draw you as an anime character! Just send the request in an e-mail, with all the description you can say. If you like it, then hey! Somebody likes the way I draw! If you don't like it then I'll find some way to make it up to you. Okay? Good. Glad I got that off my mind. IT PLAGUES ME!! Also, AoiTsuki has kindly asked me to ask you WHY exactly you want an Utsushineko/Sesshoumaru romance. Tell all in your review! Also, this chappie will be a little dramatic, but it will soon lighten up as you read on! Okay, on to the Disclaimer and Review Responses.

            **Disclaimer: I'm getting REALLY tired of these....**

**            Review Responses:**

**            Hanamaru285: Funny yes. Continuing.**

**            Holy-Psychic-Vulpix: Yep. I'm gonna fit that fat cat in the scanner even if I have to run over it with a steamroller.**

**            mkitty-chan: You know what? You may actually be reading this forever. Cause I have NO idea on how to end it. Or even what happens next. *sweatdrop* Glad that you think that it is funny though.**

**            Jack: Yessss.....evil...MUAHAHAHHAHA!!! *stops her insane laughing* YOU HAD BETTER UPDATE YOUR FIC MISTER!! BRAT'S DRIVING ME UP THE WALLS WITH HER CRYING!! NOW FINISH READING THIS AND HOP TO IT!! *Brat pops in***

**Brat: YEAH BUSTER!! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO CLOUD!! SO GET TYPING!! NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *makes really evil angry face***

**Erica: *sweatdrop* Wow. I had no idea that she would get that angry....**

**            Loselen Snowstar: Thank you. And there goes another vote for the Sesshy/Neko pairing. GOODY!! **

**            Sailor Saturn: Yes, D.g. IS going to post another fic starting MAYBE tomorrow. I think. Uh...And that's a good thing? *mumbles* May Kami have mercy on the Inu-tachi's poor souls....the torture they will endure....I heard her muttering something about '****Disneyland****' and 'talking rats'. *shudder***

**            Queenizzay: Yes. The cat is evil. And I got the idea for how Utsushineko changes from Ranma 1/2! I LOVE THAT SHOW!!! **

**            watersong: Yes. You DO have a thing for deranged cats. And now, things are gonna get even weirder. I'm thinking about involving reincarnation in this chappie, but I'm not sure....Do you think that Sesshy should be reincarnated as a cat????? THE cat I mean.**

**            Sakura-chan88: *sweatdrop* We have no real intention of being funny. It just happens. I type my sentence, then I get booted over by either Brat or D.g., and they type their response. It turns out really funny. I reread ours, and I always snicker at some of the parts.**

**            AoiTsuki: Of COURSE I'm gonna kill off those three. It wouldn't be a good fic if I didn't'!! And the reason I want this to be a Sesshy/Neko fic? Because 1) you already like him and 2) because it would be an interesting plot development!! (I borrowed that word from Yumigurl....Look Mommy! I learned another BIG word!)**

**            SenshiofSilence: I hate you for reminding me about my promise. Oh, and curiosity killed more than the cat. It killed the dog too. And the chicken. Yeah, I know that I'm being weird.**

**            Cat Silver: What can I say? The Smurfs make really good demons! And no, that cat ISN'T you, sorry. That would be just too weird. The cat's a BOY you know. Oh, and Inuyasha's gonna have to do MORE than ask Kouga for help! *cackles***

**            Yumigurl: Nope, ya didn't spell it right. Kouga is spelled Kouga, not Koga. (if that makes sense) And yes, everybody will meet up with were-kitty sooner or later. *snicker* Oh, and if you want Kouga for a boyfriend, I heard that he's currently available in another fic. *watches as Yumi runs off* That was easy....**

**            Shadow_Fox: Thanks for the quotes!!!**

**            Jenna aka Kitty: THANK YOU SO VERY MUCHIES!!! **

**            QOD: **

**            As quoted by Inuyasha, "Hey Shippo, your village is calling you; they're looking for their idiot." Submitted by Shadow_Fox.**

**            As quoted by Miroku, "Will you bare me a child?"  Submitted by Shadow_Fox.**

**            For those of you who want to send in quotes, they don't even have to be actually said by the characters! You can take a common quote and apply it to one. For example: As quoted by Inuyasha, "Give me ramen, or give me death." See? He never actually said that, but it sure would work for him! Okay, enough of my ramblings, on to the story!!**

**Kitten Caboodle**

****

**Chapter 9: That is One EVIL Cat!!**

This must be the WORST day he had ever experienced in his life. Here he was, tied up, weak from poison, with a psychotic transforming hanyou looming over him. Rin was giggling from behind her, and Jaken was currently unavailable at the moment. He was still knocked out from the blows delivered to him by the hanyou, and was therefore of no help to him. _Why me?!_ He screamed in his mind as he saw a wicked grin come onto the hanyou's face.

            "Okay Sesshoumaru, this is gonna hurt a bit," she said in a tone that sounded a lot like what doctors sound like. He knew that it wouldn't hurt 'just a little bit', but a whole lot! She had NO RIGHT to treat him this way, and he made his feelings known by growling at her through the bandanna that was acting as a gag for him.

            "Aw, Sesshy-sama, it'll be alright," Utsushineko cooed, "This'll be over in a minute!"

            He growled even harder at her. "Mmph murf muphumph!" was all he could make out through the bandanna.

            "Eh?" the evil hanyou asked, cocking an ear as she giggled insanely, "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

            He bit down as hard as he could, and managed to break the binding on his mouth, "I said, GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME YOU FREAK!!" He yelled, his anger showing through again.

            "Now, that's no way to talk to a lady!" she scolded  playfully.

            "What lady? I don't see a lady!" he shouted in rebuke. "In fact, all I see is a worthless hanyou who doesn't know her place in society!!"  Uh-oh! THAT made her angry.

            "Why you low-down dirty dog! How DARE you insult me like that!" she shouted back, her eyes flashing angrily as she advanced upon him, "If you say EVEN ONE MORE WORD to me than I'll kill you! I can make that rope tighten around you so hard that you'll suffocate! HOW WOULD YOU LIKE THAT?! HUH?! ANSWER ME!!"

            He just stared at her in shock. How was he supposed to know that what he said would strike a nerve?! It was the truth! 

            "Why are you getting so worked up over that one insult?" he voiced his thoughts. 

            "I don't expect a DOG like you to understand!" she screamed as her tail fluffed out again, "No, mister high and mighty, you would never know about what I had to go through!! You would never be able to understand!! YOU MUTT!" and with that she slapped him. Hard.

            His cheek stung from the impact as he looked at her, flustered, as she stood over him , breathing heavily and with unshed tears in her eyes. She sniffed and stalked over to the other side of the room, staring stonily at the wall as if it held the secrets of the universe. He didn't get it! One minute she was Miss Happy-Go-Lucky, another she was pure evil incarnate, and now she was getting upset over a simple insult!

             Rin looked at the two of them frightfully, and then decided that she should go try and wake Jaken up. It would be dangerous for her to talk to either of them right now. She had a sense of terror that all children feel when their parents argue. She didn't want them to be angry at each other! But there was nothing she could do about it. She sighed as she poked at Jaken, not really expecting him to wake up. She stole glances at the two from her position. Sesshoumaru-sama looked just plain shocked, and Utsushineko-chan looked downcast and forlorn, lost in thought, as if she was reliving some terrible memory. Rin sniffed as she felt tears well up in her eyes, she didn't like what was happening to the two! Neither of them was speaking, and she felt so helpless in this situation that she had no idea what to do. She just sat there and cried silently, still poking at Jaken as her tears fell upon the wooden floor of the house. Behind the door, it had gone eerily quiet. She saw that both Sesshoumaru and Utsushineko had fallen asleep, and so decided to investigate and see what had caused the kitty behind the door to stop. 

            She stood up silently, and took one more furtive glance at the two before sneaking towards the door. She looked at the sword that was stuck in the wood momentarily, then opened it. Sliding through the door, she found that the room was empty._ Where is the kitty? As soon as she thought this, a flash of white passed before her eyes before all went black. She didn't even have time to scream. Her last waking thought was that she hoped that Sesshoumaru-sama and Utsushineko-chan would be all right. Then darkness descended, and she fainted, her body hitting the floor with a dull thud_

.

            ********************************************************

            No, she is not dead you bakas! I WOULD NEVER KILL HER!! SHE'S TOO CUTE!!!

            ********************************************************

            Inuyasha dashed through the forest as quick as he could, hoping against hope that he wouldn't find Kouga. _Oh Kami-sama, I don't wanna do this_! He whined in his mind. This was so unfair! Why was HE the one that had to do this? WHY?!

            "Hey! Inu-kuro, what are you doing on my territory?!" Inuyasha's heart sank as he heard that voice. He turned around to meet the speaker.

            "I need," he gulped forlornly, "your help." 

            Kouga just stared at him incredulously, before breaking into fits of laughter.

            "You're ACTUALLY admitting that?! HAHAHAHHA!!!" he gasped for breath. "Okay, I'll help you! But only at a price!"

            Inuyasha knew what was coming next. His only ray of hope that saved him his pride was knowing the fact that this whole 'asking for help' thing was needed to trick Kouga, who was going to be the bait in their trap. "What price?"

            "You have to ADMIT that Kagome is MY woman!" Kouga smirked triumphantly. Inuyasha just stared at him. This wasn't what he thought would be the price! He thought that he would have to be Kouga's slave or something like that! NOT THIS!!

            "NEVER!!" he shouted. He realized that Kouga didn't know about the recent circumstances that had conspired between him and Kagome. "SHE ALREADY CHOSE ME DAMMIT!!"

            "Why would she choose YOU?" faltered Kouga. "You're just a hanyou!"

            "BECAUSE SHE LOVES ME DAMMIT!! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULL YOU STUPID WOLF!!"

            Kouga just glowered at him. "There is NO way that she would ever choose you!" was all he said before running off.

            Great. He had just lost them their one chance at getting that jewel shard. But he felt a certain pride in knowing that Kagome loved him and only him. But then his thoughts turned back to the situation at hand. _It couldn't get any worse._

            "Inuyasha." said an unknown voice behind him.

            _Great. It just got worse._

            ***************************************************

            Kagome was pacing around nervously. She really didn't like having to trick Kouga like this by using Inuyasha, but they had no choice. She sighed, and then sat down, pulling her backpack to her. Maybe she could at least do her homework while waiting for Inuyasha to come back with Kouga. Just as she pulled out her math assignment, she felt the presence of three jewel shards. Looking up, she tried to find out where they were when a sudden blur picked her up and carried her away. She could see her frantic friends fading into the distance trying to chase after her. She could hear their shouts as they tried to catch up. But the person who was carrying her was just too fast, and she watched as they fell farther and farther behind. Who had captured her?

            *************************************************

            Guess. *cough*Kouga*cough*

            *************************************************

            He awoke to the sound of silence. Sitting up, he realized that he had dozed off from exhaustion. Blurrily, he could make out the forms of Jaken and Utsushineko, and by the sound of it they were both asleep. Well, at least one was asleep. The other one was unconscious. With a start, he realized that Rin wasn't anywhere within the room. Frantically, he looked around for the young girl. She wasn't here! Then his nose caught the smell of blood. With horror growing in the pit of his stomach, he realized that it was HER blood. He tried to stand up, but found that he was still tied up.

            "YOU DAMN HANYOU!! UNTIE ME THIS INSTANT!!" he shouted, succeeding in his plan to awaken the sleeping neko. She rose to her feet and glared at him, her tail fluffing up like it always did when she was angry. And AGAIN he had that stupid urge to smooth it down! Damn it! This was no time for that! He glared back at her and said in a quieter voice, "Let me go."

            "Why should I?" she asked in a cold voice, with malice lacing her every word.

            "Because I need to go save Rin dammit!" he growled with a snarl on his face.

            She stiffened in shock, only just realizing that Rin wasn't in the room. With wide eyes she sniffed the air, and catching the same scent that Sesshoumaru had, dashed to the door. With a flick of her wrist, the ropes that bound him vanished, and he bolted upright. He strode to the door and removed the sword that kept out demons, but couldn't keep in little girls. So many odd feelings had been running through his head that day, and all he knew right now was that he MUST save Rin, even if he had to sacrifice his own life in the process. He decided to contemplate these new feelings later, and buried them deep inside. With an apologetic look towards Utsushineko, he spoke, "I-I'm sorry that I offended you. I had no idea that you would take it so offensively. Even if you do not forgive me, at least help me to save Rin." And with that he swiftly walked out the door, leaving the confused neko-turned-inu-hanyou behind for a moment, before she dashed up to him.

            "I forgive you," she said and kissed him on the cheek, "Now let's go find Rin!"

            As she walked away, an unfamiliar feeling crept up on Sesshoumaru again. And he just as quickly buried it for later observation.

            The two demons followed the scent to another room in the house, and opened the door cautiously, afraid of what they might find inside. Looking in, they quickly spotted Rin lying in the middle of the room. Sesshoumaru and Utsushineko strode toward her and leaned down, inspecting her for the source of the blood. It was just a little cut on the cheek. They both sighed in relief, but jerked back upright as they heard a voice coming from behind them.

            "Are you willing to answer my question yet?" said the cold voice. "If not, then I shall dispose of you." (Jeez, this kitten is more Sesshoumaru than Sesshoumaru!)

            They turned around to the owner of the voice, and staring straight at them was the kitten, which was now in his transformed state. 

            "No, I do not know where your mistress is," retorted Sesshoumaru, "and for the last time, STOP ASKING ME!!"

            At this open show of rebuke, the 'kitten' snarled angrily and lunged at him, baring its poisonous claws. He tried to dodge, but the cat was too fast, even for him. He caught the force of the attack straight in the chest, and realized too late that he had failed to protect Rin. His body slumped to the ground as the cat pulled its claws out from him. He slipped into unconsciousness just as a bright flash of light illuminated the scene.

            **************************************************

            She had been watching the whole fight from the sidelines, holding Rin close to her. He was no match for this seemingly invincible foe. He was going to lose....and she would lose him....She screamed as she saw the cat demon plunge his claws deep into Sesshoumaru's chest, and watched in horror as his body slid to the ground. 

            "NO!!" she yelled, and felt her power surging through her veins. With a low snarl, she leapt at the cat and managed to tear into its shoulder with one of her claws. Hoping that that would distract it for a while, she gathered up Sesshoumaru and raced back to the room that still contained the unconscious Jaken, with Rin in one hand and Sesshoumaru in another. 

            She bounded through the doorway and slammed the door shut behind her. Taking out the Tenseiga, she stuck it into the wood, hoping that it would keep the demon out. She propped Sesshoumaru up against the wall, and quickly inspected his wounds. Forming a binding with her light power, she wrapped it around his chest, tying it tight so that it may be more effective. Now all she could do was wait. She stood up and gathered Rin into her arms, and placed her on some bed covers that she had found in one of the drawers. Then she placed one over Sesshoumaru and lay beside him. With a chuckle, she noticed that Jaken was still unconscious.

            "Stupid wrinkly green thing...."she muttered before she fell into a deep slumber, not noticing in her weariness that her head had laid itself right onto Sesshoumaru's shoulder. Off into the corner, Jaken was mumbling something in his unconsciousness about evil hanyous ruining his lord's life....._I wouldn't ruin it....she thought before she fell asleep with a sigh._

            *****************************************************

            Let's all go AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! At the cute scene!!

            *****************************************************

            The mysterious figure that had kidnapped her had finally stopped at a secluded valley filled with trees and even a big lake in the middle. It set her down onto the ground, and she finally got a good look at her kidnapper.

            "KOUGA?!" she nearly yelled. HE was her kidnapper?! WHAT?!

            "Kagome, I am terribly sorry to so inconvenience you, but I just had to see you," said Kouga as he looked at her, "Is it true?"

            "Is what true?" she asked, having no idea that Kouga didn't know about her and Inuyasha. Well, he did know, but she didn't know that he knew. *cough* 

            "Is it true that you chose Inu-kur-I mean Inuyasha over me?"

            She looked sadly at him, "Yes, it is Kouga. I'm very sorry."

            "Oh, I understand," he said in a forlorn way, "I'll go now."

            "But Kouga, you DO know that Ayame is interested in you, right?" she asked.   He brightened up considerably at this, "You're right! I never noticed it before, but she IS good looking!" And with that he dashed off, leaving Kagome stranded in the middle of the valley.

            "WAIT!! KOUGA!! COME BACK HERE!!" she yelled, but to no avail. He had already run out of hearing range. With a sigh she plopped down under the shade of a nearby willow tree, and stared into the lake water that fed the towering tree.

            "How am I supposed to get back?!" she cried out to nobody, and as expected, nobody answered.

            "Great. Just great."

            ******************************************************

            _Damn. He thought silently, __Doesn't that bitch EVER give up?!_

            "Inuyasha, I have come to take you to hell with me," Kikyo said in an emotionless voice, "I want you dead."

            That's it, he'd had enough!

            "Look, KIKYO, I didn't betray you! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD!! I never did and never intended to! And for another thing, STOP TRYING TO TAKE ME TO HELL!! Bitch, you have NO reason to! And lastly, LEAVE KAGOME OUT OF THIS!! Stop trying to kill her and me! I've had ENOUGH of it!" and with that said he turned on his heel and walked off.

            "INUYASHA!!" she shouted. He felt something whiz by his right shoulder, and found that she had shot an arrow at him. He growled. _Damn, I thought that I was going to get off easy! I guess not..._With sincere regret, he turned back toward her.

            "Kikyo, I REALLY didn't want to do this, but you forced me to. I'm sorry," he winced as he lunged at her and plunged his claws deep into her stomach, then whirled around and chopped her head off. He stared at the corpse for a few minutes, realizing that she was really dead this time, and with a heavy heart buried her deep beneath the surface in hopes that nobody would ever be able to find her. "Gomen nasai." He turned and trudged off towards the camp, readying himself to tell them that he had finally destroyed the soulless clay shell that was the resurrected Kikyo. And that was the end of that bitch's tale. (MUAHAHAHAHAHA!! DE KIKYO!!! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!)

            *******************************************************

            Rin awoke to the sound of Jaken's shouts. It looked like he had finally regained consciousness. As she smiled at the thought of torturing Jaken, another revelation crossed her mind. She remembered what had happened! But why was she here? Her eyes snapped open and she yawned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. How did she get back here? All she remembered was the kitty attacking her....She looked at the scene before her with horror. Lord Sesshoumaru-sama was slumped against a wall with blood in a little pool all around him! And Utsushineko-chan was arguing with Jaken, her fangs were bared and she was yelling death threats at the toad for him to shut up, while she still stayed sitting right by Sesshoumaru's side, never once moving out of the range of one foot from him.

            "What happened to Sesshy-sama? WHAT HAPPENED?!" she asked frightfully as Utsushineko finally realized that she was awake, "What's wrong with him?!" She crawled over to where he lay and curled up against his side, not even noticing the blood that seeped into her kimono.

            "He was attacked by that youkai while trying to rescue you," Utsushineko explained, her voice tinged with worry, "He's been poisoned, and has lost a lot of blood. I'm not sure that he'll make it...." her voice trailed off as she tried to fight back tears. This couldn't happen to her again! She didn't want to lose somebody else! Rin just stared up at her hopefully.

            "Sesshy-sama will get better soon!" she said with confidence, "Rin knows it!" She smiled at the distraught hanyou and fell asleep against 'Sesshy-sama'. "Rin is sure of it...."

            "I ASK AGAIN, WHAT DID YOU DO TO LORD SESSHOUMARU-SAMA YOU SNIVELING WORTHLESS HALF-BREED BITCH?!"

            She just smiled at Jaken and banged him really hard over the head with his own staff. Moving from Sesshoumaru's side for a moment, she picked up the unconscious toad-youkai and moved to the door. Outside, she could hear the growls coming from Tsuki.

            "Hey Tsuki! LUNCH TIME!!" and with that she threw Jaken out the door, and just as quickly closed it again. She could hear snarls and terrified screams coming from behind the door, and smirked triumphantly. Guess _I didn't hit him hard enough to knock him out, only to faze him. Oh well! So he has to endure a little pain before he dies, she could hear high-pitched girly screams resounding through the house, __I really don't care. She heard the sound of something being ripped apart, like the head of a teddy bear. _Or the head of a Jaken_, she cackled to herself. __Hey, maybe this day didn't go so bad after all!_

            ********************************************************

            Now let's get rid of the drama, shall we?

            ********************************************************

            Somewhere in the middle of a mountain, Naraku watched all the actions of the individuals with increasing malice. They were getting closer, and his evil deeds had done nothing to tear them apart! Kanna and Kagura stood close by, their faces emotionless as they waited for an order from him.

            "Go find Mitsukai the Wanderer. Tell him that," his lip curled into a smirk at this, "that I have a BUSINESS proposition for him. I'm sure that he won't refuse."

            "But what if he does, Lord Naraku? What should we do then?" asked Kagura.

            "Tell him that I have something of his, something very-precious-to him. I think that that will be enough. He probably already has found out."

            "Hai, Lord Naraku," said both of them in synch as they strode off.

            Naraku laughed into the empty spaces of his castle. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as he thought! 

            *********************************************************

            I wonder what he could mean by that? Oh, and by the way, Mitsukai mean 'Angel', and he's MY character! You haven't met him yet, but you will! *cough* I got the name Mitsukai from my friend Brat. Her nickname for her 'boyfriend', Cloud, is Kumo-mitsukai, or Cloud Angel. Yeah, she's obsessed. *cough* It's your fault Jack! ALL YOURS!! *cough* Okay, back to the story!

            ********************************************************

            Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara desperately tried to catch up with the kidnapper who had stolen Kagome, whom Shippo had already identified as Kouga. But they fell farther and farther behind, and finally stopped altogether.

            "They could be MILES away by now!" yelled Sango as she waited for Miroku to think of something anxiously, "AND YOU EXPECT ME TO JUST WAIT?!"

            "That's all we can do right now," Miroku stated calmly, "Anyways, Kouga would never harm Kagome, and we have to wait for Inuyasha to come back. My guess is that things didn't go well between the two."

            "I WANT KAGOME!!" cried Shippo.

            "I said that we HAVE TO WAIT!" retorted Miroku.

            "I DUN WANNA!!"

            "WELL, YOU'RE GONNA HAFTA!!"

            "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!"

            Miroku's already thin patience broke, "SHUDDAP!!!!!!" he kicked Shippo in the head, sending the kit flying through the air to land right in Sango's face.

            "WAAAAAAAAAAAA!! SANGO!!!! HE'S BEING MEAN TO ME!!"

            "Houshi-sama," said Sango in a warning voice, "You should NEVER under ANY circumstances do that again! Or else I'll whack you with Hiraikotsu!" She held up the said threat, "GOT IT?!"

            He nodded dumbly.

            "Good," she said happily as she turned her back to him, only to find that that wasn't the best of ideas. She whapped him on the head with her boomerang, and muttered, "Hentai..." before storming off to sit far, far away from the lecherous houshi.

            Shippo just stood there and stared at the two.

            "I WANT KAGOME!!!!!!!"

            And the whole thing started over.

            Jeez, are they repetitive or what?

            ******************************************************

            HEEHEE!! CLIFFHANGERS!! MUAHAHAHAHA!!! Anyways, you should review if you want to find out a) whether Sesshy lives or not, b) Who Utsushineko is and what's her past, c) JUST WHAT THE HECK IF THAT FREAKING CAT?! d) who's gonna save Kagome, and how are they going to get the jewel shards away from the evil singing Smurf demons? e) who is Mitsukai the Wanderer? And f) is Kikyo really dead? 

            Ja ne!! AND REVIEW DAMMIT!! Yes YOU!! *glares at all the readers who have not reviewed so far* I KNOW that you've been reading this and have not bothered to review, SO START!!!


	10. Captured! By the Smurf Demons?

            Did you guys miss me? *dodges randomly thrown sharp objects thrown at her* ^^;;;; I'll take that as a no. Anyways, there IS a reason why I haven't updated in oh-say, what was it? Three weeks? Reason #1, D.g. broke the computer. Can you believe that she actually took it apart?! And reason #2, is because Brat was hogging the computer all weekend. So, do you forgive me? *dodges more items thrown at her* Er----I'll get back to you on that....

            Oh, and AoiTsuki, to answer your question, most reviewers just like to see Sesshy 1) show emotion, 2) have a romantic interest that makes him think and act funny, and 3) suffer.

Disclaimer: I dun own Inuyasha. Yet. *evil laugh* BUT, I DO own Mitsukai! He's so cute!! *glomps the poor guy* I've got him developed and everything! He looks like a cross between Vash and Cloud! KAWAII!!

Also, I present a CHALLENGE to all you reviewers! IF you can answer ALL my questions right, I'll include you in the story! So how 'bout it? Okay, the rules of the game are SIMPLE! I shall present a riddle to you, called Guess the Common Phrase, and you get ONE chance each time to answer them correctly! For example, I'll give you the answer to the first one, so that one's a freebie. 'Kay? Okay, let's start!

How do you say these the more common way?

 Riddle #1!

Retire at 9, up at 5, results in one guy being robust, affluent, and clever.

Hint: Robust means-strong and vigorously healthy.

Free Answer: Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Get it? Good! Next one!

Riddle #2!

A single fine deed should be rewarded with a reciprocal gesture.

Hint: Reciprocal means-interchanged, given, or owed to each other.

Riddle #3!

The previously arriving feathered vertebrate procures the invertebrate crawler.

Hint: Procure means- obtain.

Riddle #4!

When the terrain becomes arduous, the resolute become vigorous.

Hint: Arduous means- difficult.

Riddle #5!

It is vastly preferable to remain unscathed than to be forced into repentance.

Hint: Unscathed means- not injured or harmed.

Riddle #6!

Members of an avian species of identical plumage congregate.

Hint: Avian means- of, relating to, or characteristic of birds.

Riddle #7!

Surveillance should precede saltation.

Hint: Saltation means- the act of leaping, jumping, or dancing.

Riddle #8!

Refrain from lamenting over precipitately scattered lacteal fluid.

Hint: Lament means- to mourn aloud; wail; to show sorrow for.

Riddle #9!

It is fruitless to attempt to indoctrinate a superannuated canine with innovative maneuvers.

Hint: Superannuated means- retired or ineffective because of advanced age.

Riddle #10! I'll go easy on this one....

Precisely one coin equal to one cent in American funds put away for later use is then returned in full, thus allowing the bearer of the coin to gain exactly one coin.

Hint: None of these words is even remotely difficult to understand. You dun need a hint.

Okay peoples, whip out those dictionaries and try and answer them! I'll give you all a couple chappies to figure them out! XP I'm not as idiotic as you thought, am I? *grins* I'm the smart one in the family! I may talk like an idiot, but I can speak eloquently when I want to. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! I choose not to though!

Review Responses:

mkitty-chan: OF COURSE FLUFFY WON'T DIE!! What did you think this was? An angst fic?! NEVER!! Oh, and as for me, I really don't know what Tsuki is. Heh heh. I'll figure it out soon though. Oh, and I LOVE hearing from you! You're one of my 'special' reviewers! *loud yell from backstage, "'SPECIAL' ED!!!"* Er--ignore that guy. That's just Cloud, Brat's boyfriend. He came over here to hang with Ashitaka. *looks around* Where'd they go?! Uh-oh........*races off to find them* They better not be doing anything bad! *rolls eyes* What am I saying? OF COURSE they're gonna get in trouble!

lindy*girl: Yes. Fluffy's situation is pretty funny! Hope you liked the pics! *sweatdrop* Considering that those were the first two I've ever drawn, I'm pretty darn proud of myself!

Happy Youkai: No, Sesshy won't die. *gets really evil look* Do you REALLY believe that Kikyo is dead? *laughs maniacally* I'm not gonna say anything now though!

Fluff Writer: You know, I had a feeling that you would like the fluffy parts....I wonder why? *cough*

Sailor Saturn: *looks very nervous* Er-yeah, right.....Kikyo's dead. *cough* It's not like she's gonna come back or anything, just because of my sick twisted sadistic mind!

Jack: ^____^ Randomness is good. *snaps out of weird daze* Urk. I just said something that sounded like something D.G. would say!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! *runs around screaming hysterically* SHE'S RUBBING OFF ON ME!! NOOOOOOOO!!

Tiger of the Wind: Parents are evil too. T_T And cousins. D.G. BROKE MY COMPUTER!! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

Litwolf689: Forgive me for not updating please?

SenshiofSilence: *coughs nervously* Rrriiiiggghhhhhhtttt....Kikyo is dead. *coughs again* Er......I should apologize now for what will happen in future chappies, so SORRY!!

Yumigirl: *sweatdrop* I guess that I'm not in my right mind.....*Yumigirl looks at her threateningly* *cough* ANYWAYS, Mitsukai is even CUTER than Cloud!! I mean, c'mon, he's like a cross between Vash and Cloud!! That is like the cutest combo possible!! Oh and Kagome WILL meet the Smurfs!! *cackles* I already had plans for her to! And also, I have NO idea what Tsuki is! And THANK YOU for the compliment!

Lil'Lyn713: *sweatdrop* Er---don't get your hopes up too high about Kikyo yet....I really hate to burst other peoples' bubbles....

AoiTsuki: *glares* I DID TOO WRITE MORE THAN FIFTEEN PAGES!! *cough* I just handwrote it is all! It amounted to thirty-four on paper!! And I have plans for Hojo, but about Kikyo......*coughs very nervously* 

Sakura-chan88: I'm glad that Sesshy didn't respond that way either! *cough* AoiTsuki would kill me if he did! Also, I got your message from D.g....*sweatdrop* Dude, she was grinning from ear to ear that she actually GOT reviews...Frankly, I am VERY surprised that she got as much as she did for ONLY two chappies!! -_-* She got more that I did....

shadowspinner: Wha? *speaks very slowly and clearly* I can't understand you. The only thing that I could get out of your review were the words 'trouble', 'pits', and 'I love your story'. *stops to think* Those words don't go together, do they? *cough* Anyways, can't wait to hear from you again! I even brought my translator this time!! *whips out the translator* NOW I CAN UNDERSTAND YOU!! YAY!!!

Cat Silver: o_O! *backs away slowly* You----scare me. RUN INY!!! SHE'S POSESSED!! GET AWAY WHILE YOU CAN!! SHE'LL KILL US ALL!! *thinks for a minute* Fly paper...not a bad idea....

brat2princess: *snicker* You stole Brat's name! Oo! She's gonna be SO mad!! *more snickering* Anyways, always glad to get another reviewer! ^_^ Hope you like dis chappy!

Merea: We'd all be happy to help you out! The problem is, we dun know how to block somebody...Could you tell us how? Please? I REALLY wanna block this annoying person who thinks that they can block you! You had a great idea that a couple other people have done, but THEY didn't get blocked!! IT'S NOT FAIR!! *I* WAS A CHARACTER!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

I sure do seem to be coughing a lot in this chappy...*coughcough* Must be that flu that's been going round....I think that it's called the Uh-Oh My Reviewers Are Gonna Kill Me When They Read The Next Chappy flu.

Duh, duh, duh! Time for quotes! Let's all have a HURRAH! *crickets chirp* *Erica gets ticked off anime look* I SAID 'HURRAH'! *all the people 'hurrah' nervously* Very good! You guys CAN be trained! ^-^

Okay, this was a quote I heard from Brat who said she had read it in a story called something like 'Quote Time!' You guys should check it out! It's got some good ones! It's by Princess Kat, but, sadly, we could not review her because by the time we had finished reading it, the librarian threw us out of the library. And, as I said, our computer was broken....AND NOW I CAN'T FIND IT!! WHAAAAAAAAA!! *sniff* So, Princess Kat, if you're reading this, which you are probably not, I would just like to say that I LOVE your story!! *cough* Now on to the quote!

"Earth is full. Go home." As said by Sango to, you guessed it, Miroku. 

And also,

"Chaos, destruction, total annihilation......My work here is done."-as said by Naraku. *mutters* Stupid monkey. *kills him ten times over*

AND YES!! I JUST NOW CAME UP WITH AN IDEA ABOUT WHY TSUKI IS ACTING LIKE THIS!! AND WHAT HE IS!! WHOHOO!! W00t! GO ME!!

Kitten Caboodle

Chappy 10: Captured! By the.....Smurf Demons?

            OKAY!! RECAP TIME!! SO, Sesshy has been gravely injured, Rin is OK, Utsushineko and Sesshy are liking each other, Jaken is dead WHOHOO!!, Kikyo is dead *coughcough* I think, Kagome is stranded in the middle of nowhere, and Naraku is planning another Diabolical Plot™. *sweatdrop* Rrrrriiigghhhhhhhtttttt.....we'll just let him think that for now!

************************************************************************

            Kagome looked about her surroundings with idle curiosity. She was currently sitting in the shade of a large willow tree that grew near the small lake, whose clear blue waters reflected the sun's bright rays and brought sparkles to the waves the flowed unendingly to the shore. Plant life of all kinds grew abundantly in this small valley, ranging from evergreens to sakura trees. Several sorts of  bushes grew too; some with blueberries, some with raspberries, and there was even a bush that had some sort of weird fruit growing on its thick, dark green branches. She stood up, and strolled contentedly along the shore, sometimes pausing here or there to pick a flower, or even eat a berry. She sighed, this place was wonderful, and to think that it was located right near the village too. Maybe, just maybe, when she and Inuyasha get married, they could settle down here. It would be perfect. 

            She soon grew tired of just walking around, and sat back down under the willow tree. She pulled her backpack over to her, and dug through its contents. There was ramen, a deck of cards, ramen, a change of clothes, more ramen, some hair ties, ramen, her c.d. player with c.d.s, chicken ramen, her bow and arrows, beef ramen, her hair brush, shrimp ramen, her sleeping bag and all her other utensils, her homework for the last three weeks, oh, and did she happen to mention ramen? Her brow furrowed in bewilderment when she pulled out a humongous bag, filled with fly paper, fishing nets, a flamethrower, super glue, and even a bottle of acid. WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?!

            "It must've been Mom again," she muttered, still looking at all the things in disbelief, "But why would she pack these things? I certainly don't need them." She stuffed the contents back into the backpack, with the exception of her c.d. player and c.d.s.  She randomly put in one of the disks, and pressed the play button. She hummed along with the song, an American one by called "Love Is a Beautiful Thing" by Krystal, and the words started flow out of her. 

            _Weird, she thought, __this song kinda describes me and Inuyasha....._

            She lay down, staring up at the branches and leaves waving above her, the wind swirling around, causing a soft whisper to resonate from the tree. She sighed again and hoped that Inuyasha would come find her soon, before falling asleep, still listening to the music that floated out from the c.d. player.

            As she slipped into deep slumber, she thought that she felt a jewel shard nearby, but shrugged the feeling off.

            *************************************************************

            Gazing at the sleeping girl through the bushes, many little black eyes gleamed in sudden mischievousness, and many little blue-skinned faces broke into evil smiles, and many little white hats bobbed to and fro in excitement, and many little---ah, you get the point. THE SMURFS ARE PLANNING SOMETHING!!!

            **************************************************************

            A loud yell resounded throughout Naraku's dark, evil castle. Surprisingly, the yell belonged to Naraku himself. Two more yells followed, both belonging to Kagura and Kanna. 

            "HEY!! WHO SAID YOU COULD TAKE THAT BACK?!" shouted Naraku as he, Kagura, and Kanna all pursued one golden-haired boy of about sixteen as he leapt down the slopes of the castle and hurriedly dashed away. Grinning in triumph, he turned back to apologize to the trio.

            "I am very sorry, but I do believe that this artifact belongs to me," he held up the treasure as he ran, waving it tauntingly above his head. It appeared to be some sort of crystal, hung on a golden chain, that was engraved with symbols and glowed many different colors, as if it had a life of its own. "You'll just have to get your own!!"

            "GET BACK HERE YOU SPIKE-HEAD!! YOU'RE *SUPPOSED* TO BE MY PUPPET, AND I WAS *SUPPOSED* TO BLACKMAIL YOU WITH THAT!! THIS ISN'T HOW IT SHOULD HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!! GET BACK HERE SO I CAN STEAL YOUR SOUL!!!"

            The boy just smirked and ran faster, "Oh, but SURELY you can find someone else!!"

            "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!" shouted Kagura as she shot many sharp feathers at the boy.

            "IIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" he shouted in surprise when a few grazed across his back. "PEACE!! NOT WAR!!!" 

            "I'LL SHOW YOU PEACE!! I'LL CUT YOU INTO PIECES!!" she shouted again, shooting more feathers at him.

            "Kagura! Don't kill him! We still need him for our Diabolical Plot ™." scolded Naraku.

            "I don't care! I wanna kill him!! NOW!!" she retorted.

            "Would you two just shut up?!" screamed Kanna, "That golden haired idiot is getting away!" She pointed to where the boy had run off, leaving the fighting trio behind.

            "Damn...." muttered Naraku, "He got away..."

            "AND IT'S YOUR FAULT FOR NOT LETTING ME KILL HIM!!"

            "Shut up."

            "Make me."

            "Bitch."

            "Jerk."

            "Slut."

            "A$$HOLE!!"

            "WHORE!!"

            "SHUT THE FREAK UP YOU TWO!!" yelled Kanna, once again interrupting their shouting match, "We have to go after him!!"

            And so they left after the mysterious boy, muttering obscene things about each other as they ran.

            The young boy watched from behind a bush as they passed his hiding place.

            "Jeez, it was even easier to get rid of them than I thought." He turned around to be faced with many little pairs of eyes, with many little blue faces grinning evilly, with many little white hats bobbing up and down, and-oh, forget it! He was faced with the Smurfs! 

            "Uh-oh..." Were his last words before he was knocked out by many little-oh not this again- weapons.

            *************************************************************

            Inuyasha searched around desperately for any trace of Kagome, his keen, dog-like sense of smell sorting through all the different scents to pick up the one of his love. He followed it until he came to a secluded valley. There, under the tree, was one of Kagome's hair ties, and all around was the scent of the Smurf demons.

            "Oh my Kami.....she's been kidnapped."

            He quickly dashed off to find the others, and tell them what had happened.

            "She better not be hurt..." he growled under his breath as he practically flew across the countryside, "Or else I swear that I'll kill every single last one of those little bastards..."

            ************************************************************

            "SHE'S BEEN WHAT?!" shouted Sango once Inuyasha had told her what happened, "But I thought that Kouga was with her...."

            "KOUGA?!" yelled Inuyasha, "If he had ANYTHING to do with her kidnapping, I'll--"

            "Inuyasha," Miroku reassured, "Kouga would NEVER hurt Lady Kagome."

            "Grrrr..."

            "I mean it, most likely he was gone before the Smurfs even attacked."

            "Grrrr...."

            "Can't you even say something remotely intelligent?"

            "Grrrr...."

            "We gotta go find Kagome!" inserted Shippo in near hysterics, "We just gotta!"

            "Of course we will Shippo! We'll find her, and make those demons pay for taking her!" Sango said in half-worry and half-anger, "We'll get her back!"

            "Well, then let's quit the small talk and go rescue her!" shouted Inuyasha.

            "So you CAN speak," Miroku taunted, "Even though you do not think."

            "I'll kill you Houshi."

            "You wouldn't," Miroku smirked, "You need me."

            "Why?"

            "Because I have a plan, and you don't."

            "Grrrr...."

            "I thought so."

            ***************************************************************

            Sesshoumaru woke up to a warm fuzzy----thing----at his side, and briefly enjoyed the relaxing effect it had on him. Not yet opening his eyes, he tried to recall what had happened. He was attacked by that neko-youkai, Tsuki was its name, wasn't it? And then.....darkness. But not before he saw an odd flash of light. What could create such a beautiful light as that? For only angels could match the pureness of that light. Speaking of light.....he opened his eyes after seeing a warm glow on his chest, and realized that some sort of light was acting as a bandage for his wounds. Looking to his right, he saw Rin cuddled up in his robes next to him, and saw that his blood had seeped into her kimono. He frowned; he'd have to get that cleaned. He felt a stirring over to his left, and was shocked to see Utsushineko sleeping against him. An unfamiliar flush rose up in his cheeks, and he blinked several times in embarrassment. He stared at her sleeping face for a few moments, before realizing that two blue orbs were staring back at him. His blush deepened into a rose color from the light pink tinge it had been. The eyes blinked slowly in confusion before shining in happiness.

            "SESSHY-CHAN!!" she squealed in glee and hugged his neck. "YOU'RE OKAY!! YOU'RE NOT DEAD!!"

            Wait a minute, did she just call him SESSHY-CHAN?! His normally calm and stoic mask broke into one of confusion and outrage. 

            "Sesshy-chan?!"

            "Oops...hehe...sorry," she mumbled, now blushing too. Both of them just stared at each other, blushing.

            "No one has EVER called me that before," murmured Sesshoumaru, "Ever."

            "Should I call you Fluffy-sama instead?"

            "WHAT?!"

            "I'll take that as a no."

            "You're darn right!!"

            "How about Sess?"

            "No."

            "Sesshy?"

            "No."

            "Fluff master?"

            "HELL no."

            "Sessy?"

            "Would you quit trying to change my name?!"

            "Uh-uh."

            He sighed at this.

            "Can I PLEASE call you Sesshy-chan? PLEASE???" she begged him with puppy dog eyes.

            "Fine."

            "WHOHOO!! I WIN!!"

            He stared at her blankly for a moment, before noticing that she was back in her neko-form. A sudden thought occurred to him.

            "Utsushineko--"

            "You can call me Neko-chan!"

            "Fine. Neko-chan, how exactly did you get that curse?"

            "Which one?"

            "You mean that there's more than one?!"

            "Yep."

`           "....."

            "So...which one?"

            "The one that causes you to change forms like that."

            "OH!! THAT curse! Of course I'll tell you!"

            "Please, no flashbacks."

            "Awwwwwww....but I like flashbacks!"

            "..."

            "FINE!! Anyways, how this curse started.....Well, one day---"

            "Please make it short."

            "SHEESH!! Fine! JUST STOP INTERRUPTING ME!! ANYWAYS, one day I was traveling in China, trying to find a Mystical Item™, when a boy with black hair ran past me, followed by an old man. Well, in their haste, they accidentally knocked me off a cliff, and I grabbed onto them and pulled them down with me. We fell into the water of several different springs, and when I surfaced, I had found that I had been turned into a DOG-HANYOU!! The boy was turned into a girl, and the old man was turned into a panda. I also believe that there was another boy there who got in the same predicament as us and was turned into a small black pig. Well, the boy introduced himself and his father, and we wondered what to do. Ranma, that's the boy's name, decided that we should go search for a cure. So we all traveled back Japan, and the last that I heard from him was that he had ALMOST gotten his hands on a Mystical Item™ that could permanently turn him into a guy. But I guess it didn't work out."

            "And when was this?"

            "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

            "Try me."

            "About five hundred years from now."

            "...And HOW is this possible?!"

            "Er....I was accidentally pulled into a time portal made by this one REALLY stupid wizard named Voldemort or something, who was from the future, and that was why I was searching for a Mystical Item™ to return me back to the past, and well, I found one!" She grinned as she finished the story with him looking on in awe of her.

            "...."

            "So......are you feeling okay?"

            "Wait a minute, where is Jaken?"

            "Um....hehe....he went out for lunch?"

            *************************************************************

            He awoke to the annoying sound of singing from somewhere a little ways away, and realized that he was in the Smurf's colony. _Not good_, he thought, _I might not be able to get out of here._ He shuffled around, and found that his arms and legs were bound.

            "Darn!" he muttered, before crawling along in the dark, hoping to find something sharp with which to cut the ropes, "Of all the days to not wear my daggers, I choose THIS one!" Crawling forward, his nose suddenly banged into a board-like object. He stood stock-still for a moment, waiting for his eyes to adjust, before he could finally make out the object in front of him.

            "Bingo..." he muttered in glee as he looked upon his sword in its sheathe, "Now to get it out!" He quickly turned around and let his hands do the work, limited as it was, and he had soon freed the sword, letting it fall to the ground with a clang. He stopped for a moment and listened intently for any sign that they had heard him, but heard nothing except their incessant singing. He rubbed the ropes that bound him against the blade, and had soon freed his hands from their bondage. He rubbed his wrists to restore the circulation in them, and then untied his legs. That done, he carefully stood up, letting his blood flow freely throughout his body. He groaned in pain as long-bound muscles were soon pumping again.

            "Ite....I must've been unconscious for quite a while..." He picked up his sword and strapped it to his back, checking that he had everything he had originally set out with.

            "Oh no....not again..." The crystal was nowhere to be found, even when he searched the floor. "Those Smurfs must've taken it!"

            He strode over to the door, and found that it was locked.

            "Dang it! And I don't have my lock-picking tools either! This just isn't my day!" He slumped down in defeat and tried to assess the situation. He was trapped in the stronghold of the Smurfs, had only his sword and a few provisions, and he had no idea how to get out. He sighed, then decided to explore the large room he was in. It was almost like a cavern! _This must be where the Smurfs congregate for meetings....If they even had those. That was the only reason they would've carved such a large room as this! He inspected the walls more closely, __or maybe this is a natural cave....The latter was most likely the answer. His sharp hearing picked up the steady drip of water, and he wandered over to its source. _

            He gasped as his eyes spotted a small lake, surrounded by glowing crystals, and patterned with stalagmites and stalactites. (An easy way to remember which is which is to know that the 'g' in stalagmite stands for 'ground', so they're the ones on the floor, while the 'c' in stalactite stands for 'ceiling', so they're the ones that hang down from the top of the cave! Get it? There's some free info for ya!) A large yellow bag lay on one of the rocks in the middle of the dark lake. He decided to go check it out later.

            He looked around, and to his surprise, spotted a young girl of about fifteen lying near the shore, bound as he had been. He loped over to her and checked her pulse in worry. Finding that it was good and strong, and that she was breathing normally, he cut her loose, his worry lessening. He poured some water from the lake onto her face, hoping to bring her back into consciousness. His efforts were rewarded when she coughed and tried to sit up, gasping in pain. He gently pushed her back down, smiling to show that she needn't fear him.

            "You really shouldn't get up. Your blood needs to circulate again before you should try standing," he scolded her softly.

            "Who-who are you? Where am I?" she demanded, tensing up.

            He chuckled heartily, "Why, you're in the Smurfs' stronghold, and we are both prisoners here, though I do not know why."

            "THEIR STRONGHOLD?!" she cried.

            "Yep."

            "You still didn't tell me your name," she accused.

            "Only because you haven't said yours," he returned the accusation lightly, to show he was joking.

            "I'm Kagome Higurashi," She held out her hand for him to shake. 

            He shook her hand and said, "I'm Mitsukai Tsubasa."

            "Angel Wings?"

            "Hey! It's not my fault that I had quirky parents!"

            She giggled at the comical expression of outrage that he had on his face, but she still couldn't really tell what he looked like in the semi-darkness the filled the cave.

            "So....do you have any idea how to get us out of here?" she asked hopefully.

            He smiled and said, "Not a clue." He laughed at the crestfallen look on her face, "But I'm sure I'll get one soon!"

            And so they sat together, and thought, and thought, and thought, and thought.......

            "How about we storm through the door and chop down every one of those little buggers in our path with my sword?" he suggested.

            "No. Won't work." They thought some more, until a sudden thought dawned on Kagome.

            "Mitsukai, did you by any chance see a large yellow backpack anywhere around here?"

            He blinked at her in surprise, "Actually, I did." He pointed out to the middle of the lake where the bag lay on a rock that rose from its depths. "Right there."

            Kagome laughed with delight and jumped up, running over to the edge. "That bag has some items that we could use to get out of here! Let's go get it!" She jumped into the water.

            As she swam on oblivious, Mitsukai thought that he saw a ripple from the middle of the lake make its way toward her. He blinked again, rubbing at his eyes, before realizing that something was heading toward Kagome, and she didn't know of it.

            "Kagome! Get out of there!" he shouted, dashing toward her. She turned back to look at him in confusion.

            "Why? What's wrong?" A sudden hot breath on her neck, the feel of something scaly on her legs, and the shout of shock from Mitsukai signaled that she was in a lot of danger right now. Daringly, she looked behind her, and screamed at the sight.

            She was staring a sharp tooth as large as her whole body.

            ************************************************************

            CLIFFIES!! WHOHOO!! Not much Sesshy/Neko action there, but I did center more on the others. Review please!! If I get TWENTY reviews, *smirk*, I'll update this Wednesday! OR Thursday! *cackles* Depends....


	11. Mitsukai Verses Asiva, the Sea Dragon!

            T_T I just got my first flame today by e-mail. They didn't even bother to send it in a review! They just e-mailed it straight to me! Of all the nerve! *spaces out in pure fury for a minute, then decides to get back on track*

Warning: Extreme (at least to me) fluff ahead! Enter at your own risk!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. However, I DO own this incredibly lame fic, and this incredibly lame chapter. Oh, and Mitsukai's mine too. He's like my little brother. I OWN HIM!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Mitsukai: Dammit. She's crazy. Why do I have to be owned by a crazy?

Me: Because.

Mitsukai: Life isn't fair. I get saddled up with YOU.

Me: And you also have a pretty tragic past ya know! I came up with that!

Mitsukai: Why do *I* have to d-

Me: SHUT IT!! You'll give away the plot! STUPID!

Mitsukai: ....It's not fair! SHIO has a nicer authoress! SHE'S also better at writing than you! There's no question about it, Scorpiogal's WAY cooler than you!

Me: I SAID SHUT IT! On to the review responses!

            Okay, so, there isn't really any of that happening. BUT, I just have to say, SO many people got ALL the questions right, that I had to come up with a harder one! But anyways, here are the people who answered ALL the riddles right! Sailor Saturn (don't kill Trunks, he did well), Sakura-chan88 (I got another one for you; parents are funny to watch when they don't know something!), SenshiofSilence (I have NO idea what the Author Alert thing does; and don't go guessing things ahead of time in my story! You'll give away the plot! Mitsukai: There never was one. Me: SHUT IT!), DVL (I'm kinda afraid to have you in my story...), Yumigurl (No more sugar for you!), and Litwolf689 (Sorry I haven't updated. This was the first chance I got!)

            These are the proud, the wonderful, and the smart people who stand out from the rest! (Mitsukai: DO NOT!) Shut it Mitsukai! Ahem. Anyways, be glad, for ALL of you who tried did better than my whole school! ^_^ 

            And now for the final question. NONE of you will get this!

            Okay. The rules of the game. I give you two words, and you have to come up with two MORE words that mean the same, but rhyme! AND, they have to have the same number of syllables! HA! 

Example: Obese feline.

Answer: Fat cat. 

Get it? There's only ONE question this time, and believe me, it stumped EVERYBODY I knew! Here it is: Deity's plan. 

There it is. I leave those who answered correctly the first time to it. 

Also, AoiTsuki, PLEASE don't do anything drastic! And, you got almost ALL of the questions right, but on #7 it's actually 'Look before you leap.' I have absolutely no idea where you got the 'conscious' bit from. And yes, I am good. Harry Potter/Smurfs/Ranma ½/Inuyasha; now THAT is what I call a cross-over! I rock. Hold your applause please. *gets whacked in the head with a rotten tomato by a sniggering Mitsukai* Darn him! He acts JUST like my half-brother!

            On another note, I GOT THE HARRY POTTER BOOK!! YAY!! I'VE HAD IT IN MY POSSESSION FOR *TWO DAYS* AND AM ALREADY ON PAGE FIVE-HUNDRED-FIFTY-FIVE! YES!!

            Also, for some strange reason, Brat has promised that I would write a REALLY long chapter. She's right now locked up in the Room of Doom now. She needs to think before she makes promises for other people. But I'll still write a long chapter.

            And another thing, just to tell you, our camp SUCKED. Literally. They call it Fine Arts Camp. There was no SUGAR, no CAFFEINE, and no SODA. Basically, we've been recuperating this past week. The second we got out of that place, we all asked our ji-chan to take us to a restaurant and ordered the largest and most wonderful sundaes I have EVER seen. But anyways, I didn't really have any time or inspiration to write at camp. It was hard enough to sleep there when everybody else was up talking till two o' clock, but to actually try to write the same night and wake up at seven thirty in the morning was not something I wanted to do.

            And last, but not least, I want to take a poll. Ya see, *hides behind Mitsukai* I kinda was leaning toward Mitsukai over here being the tragic hero and uh-dying. I need to hear your thoughts on that. He sure doesn't like it, that I know.

Mitsukai: LIKE HELL I DON'T!! YOU WANT TO KILL ME OFF!! 

Me: Well, you'd be remembered in the memories of the Inu-crew forever.

Mitsukai: I'D RATHER LIVE!!

Me: So, uh-anyways, I want to see if you people think he should die or not.

Mitsukai: I WAS JUST INTRODUCED IN THE LAST CHAPTER!! I OUTSMARTED NARAKU!! I TAUNTED HIM!! I GOT CAPTURED BY SMURFS!! AND *NOW* YOU WANT ME TO DIE?!

Me: *sweatdrop* Yes.

Mitsukai: You are one evil person...

Me: Yeah, well, I kinda got the inspiration for your character from Cloud and Vash....so it's only natural your life would be filled with pain and suffering, but you still show a happy face to the world.

Mitsukai: I'LL SHOW YOU 'HAPPY FACE'! I'LL RIP *YOURS* OFF!! 

Me: Don't mind him. He's just kinda angry with my thoughts on how this story should end. Anyways, to the long-awaited chapter! And yes, to that person who sent me the e-mail, I HAVE kinda railed off from my original plot. But that is no reason for you to flame me like that! I. Do. Not. Accept. Flames. With. Swearing! SO GO *censored* JUMP OFF A CLIFF, YOU *censored*! *pant gasp* %$#@*^%*^$@W^*(()%$##%^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

**Kitten Caboodle**

**Chapter 11: **

            Sesshoumaru was definitely not happy. In fact, he was downright furious. The neko-hanyou watched him in nervous anticipation, obviously realizing that her decision to feed Jaken to the possessed cat outside was not a good one. His left eye was twitching in annoyance, and he was just about ready to break out of the calm and cool exterior he displayed.

            "Now...tell me again as to WHY you fed my servant to that-that cat?" he demanded, fixing her with a cold glare. "Surely not even HE deserved such a cruel fate."

            "Well-I-um......" She didn't appear to be able to explain her actions, and instead looked him straight in the eye in open defiance. "He insulted me. Isn't that reason enough?"

            "Not enough that you should want to kill him. And I repeat again, what did he ever do to annoy you THAT much?" He was starting to get extremely impatient. As much as he hated to admit it, he actually agreed with the hanyou's actions. But that was no cause for her to go and kill one of his most loyal servants, as annoying as Jaken may be.

            "Well, it's not so much the fact that I have something against him. More like the fact that he even exists is enough reason for me. I mean, he was practically MADE to be killed!"

            Well...he had to agree with her on that point. That ugly green face, those bulging yellow eyes, and that high-pitched squeaky voice of Jaken's was enough to make even the most patient and understanding pacifist homicidal. 

            "And besides, it's not like anyone really cared for him. So how about we just pretend that he was never around to begin with?"

            He stared blankly at her, causing her to fidget with nervousness. _Doesn't this guy blink? She thought uncomfortably. __Man, this guy is more cat-like than I thought! I wonder if he purrs too...NO! NO! Stop your thinking RIGHT there! Get a hold of yourself girl! She mentally slapped herself. She knew where that train of thought would most likely lead. Although it DID provide some nice mental pictures, she was sure that she had nearly breached the breaking point of the tall, proud youkai sitting before her. She was lucky that he hadn't done away with her already. But why hadn't he? She was almost positive that he would kill her for kissing him on the cheek like that. Darn impulses. But she managed to cover up her surprise at her own actions well enough. He really was quite sweet to that human girl, Rin. _

            She was snapped out of her musings by the low growl coming from Sesshoumaru, and meeting the annoyed golden gaze coming from him, she realized that she must've spaced out for quite a while.

            "G-gomen! I didn't mean to zone out!" He stared at her uncomprehendingly; she used such-ODD-language! 

            "Now, just answer my question. What exactly caused you to react in that manner?" He glared her down determinedly, not letting her blue-eyed gaze wander from his piercing golden one. 

            "I already said! He insulted me! He called me a half-breed!  He called me sniveling! He-he-he almost woke you up when you were resting! You needed sleep!" Oops. Those last two sentences weren't meant to be said...

            He just stared at her in surprise, his jaw hanging slightly open in shock.

            "Wha-what was that last reason?"

            "I-um...." She felt her face flush up, and was aware that she could not seem to meet the lord's eyes. Instead, she just stared down at her claws, distractedly noticing that they were resting on his left arm. Wait a minute? Left arm?! Since when did he have one?! She jerked her shocked gaze up to his, her mouth forming a little 'o' of surprise.

            "Sess-Sesshoumaru! Your arm! It's back!" She switched her gaze back to the arm. "H-how? How is that possible?!"

            He stared in wondrous delight at the newly-made limb, flexing the fingers and watching in a kind of trance-like fascination as they responded at his will. He looked up when Utsushineko suddenly coughed what sounded like 'obsessed.' He sheepishly glared at her.

            "Well....it looks like we have another mystery to solve."

            "Another?"

            "Yes, we have several. Such as the Case of the Odd Feline," he motioned towards the locked door, "and the Case of the Crazed Psychotic Odd Weird Transforming Hanyou Who Seems to Like Torturing and Killing Ugly Toad Youkai, and Has Too Many Relatives and Too Many Curses." He motioned toward Utsushineko.

            "Why I oughtta-oh, you gonna pay for that you dog!" she snarled, baring her fangs and fluffing up her tail again. This time Sesshoumaru couldn't control his actions; he reached out with his left hand and started to pat all the fur down. She stared in shocked irritation at him.

            "Sorry. I could not control myself."

            She just continued to stare, and then seemed to snap out of it. "Yes, well, just don't do it again without my permission!" She gave him a half-hearted glare.

            "You mean I could have your permission to do that?"

            BONK.

            "Don't even think of it buster."

            "You know, you didn't have to punch me on the head."

            "You deserved it."

            "So.....do I have your permission?"

            "I think that your blood-loss is starting to affect your brain."

            "You didn't answer my question."

            "Fine, fine, just stop acting weird!"

            "You're calling ME weird? I happen to recall you pestering me about calling me 'Sesshy-chan.'"

            "So? I think it's a cute name!"

            "Exactly. Don't call me it."

            "Aw, but Sesshy-chan-"

            "What did I just tell you?"

            "What DID you just tell me?"

            There was a long pause for a moment, as both just stared at the other.

            "I love you."

            "Somebody call the ambulance! He's obviously out of his mind!" She looked around worriedly, realizing that the situation was worse than she thought. Hearing an odd coughing sound, she turned around to find that Sesshoumaru was valiantly trying to muffle the laughter that was pouring out of his mouth.

            "What the-YOU TRICKED ME!!" She hissed at him, furiously whacking him with whatever she could find on hand, "That's it! YOU DIE!!" 

            "G-gomen!" he gasped, laughter positively booming from his otherwise serene face. "I haven't had this much fun in years!"

            "Yeah. I thought that. You seemed pretty uptight when I first met you."

            "Yeah, well, when you first met me I was still trying to kill my half-brother."

            "I guess that Cheering Charm worked well then."

            "What do you mean?"

            "I-uh picked up some stuff while in the future. Can you actually believe that I was taught for a while in a wizarding school called Hogwarts?""

            "Yes I can, what with everything else that's happened."

            Another long pause followed.

            "So, do I have permission?"

            "WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP ABOUT THAT?!"

            "Gomen."

************************************************************************

            Meanwhile, back to our two captured friends in the Smurf stronghold. 

            Mitsukai: FRIENDS?! YOU WANT TO KILL ME YOU FREAK!

            Me: Shut it! You're not supposed to interrupt! Or else I'll just forget the poll entirely and kill you off in THIS chapter!

            Mitsukai: Dammit.

            Me: No swearing.

            Mitsukai: But Inuyasha is allowed to swear!

            Me: So? I SAID SHUT IT!

            Mitsukai: *grumble*witch*grumble*

            Me: I heard that.

            Mitsukai: ...

            Me: Anyways, the next part will be REALLY dramatic. I mean it. Don't you think I would be as good at writing drama as I am at writing romance?

            Mitsukai: Yeah.

            Me: Aw, that's the nicest thing you've said!

            Mitsukai: Because you can't write at all.

            Me: ...that's it. You're gonna die.

            Mitsukai: o_O Really, I didn't mean it!

            Me: *sniffs royally* Back to the fic!

            Mitsukai: Wait!

            Me: SHUT IT!!

************************************************************************

            Kagome froze in shock, just staring in horror at the gleaming fang so close to her body that she could see her frightened, pale reflection on its surface. Slowly, and with much trepidation, she looked up at the owner of that fang, which happened to be a giant water dragon, or so she thought. She could see many other fangs, sharp and long, that lined the mouth of the gigantic beast before her. Its skin was scaly, covered in moss, with a dank, blackened smell clinging to each scale, patches of a murky greenish-blue color dominated the entire being, seconded only by some dark black spots that looked to be poisoning the creature, and were obviously caused by some unknown force; she could see several scars crossing over its broad snout. A low, deep growl rose from its chest, which was still hidden beneath the bottomless depths of the lake. One pale, luminescent yellow orb stared at her from the top of the head. The head itself was at least ten times as large as her or Mitsukai, and from what she could see this giant creature was at least one hundred feet long, if not more. After calmly taking this all in with a sort of detached air, she came back to herself. Realizing that she was in extreme danger, she did the only thing she could do: scream.

            "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" She backpedaled in the water as fast as she could, but to her terror, the tail of the beast wrapped around her lithe frame, squeezing the air from her lungs. 

            "Kagome!" she heard Mitsukai shout before being dragged under the water. Its inky black waves closed in over her head, and though she fought desperately, she was pulled downwards by the relentless strength of the horrible creature that held her. She could feel the muscles in the flesh that bound her tighten, and struggled to breathe as more and more air was forced out of her lungs, drifting slowly up to the top of the lake in bubbles. The world suddenly turned dark around her; she was barely aware of the pain she was feeling now as the creature's hold caused her ribs to crack. She slowly drifted into unconsciousness, her mind wandering back through the years. She remembered every party, every holiday, and every little thing in her life. She remembered how she felt when Souta was born, how proud she was when she was chosen to be the angel in a school play, she even remembered the sorrow that was inflicted upon her when she watched her father walk out of her family's life. Every memory she ever had came before her, and she lingered on the feeling of Inuyasha's lips against hers, how he said that he had chosen her. Was that only today that it happened? It seemed like forever had gone by since then. _Inuyasha...I'm sorry. I couldn't stay with you. Forgive me.... And the world went black._

************************************************************************

            Okay, Mitsukai was officially worried now. The only other person he knew in this godforsaken hellhole had been dragged under the lake by a giant scaly lizard. What a great way to start the day. 

            "LIKE HELL IF I'M GOING TO LET YOU KILL HER!!" he shouted at the broiling waters, not really believing that he would be heard. He desperately tugged off his boots and body armor, making himself as light as he could. Standing up, he held his sword readily in his hands, and dived into the deep waters after that overgrown lizard. But he hadn't counted on the water being this COLD. He shivered in the first few seconds under and felt his whole body go numb. _This can't be good...I gotta get both me and Kagome outta here! He swam deeper down, but still could not see where the monster had gotten too. _Dangit...At this rate, I'LL be dead before Kagome is!_ He hurriedly searched around using what little powers of sense he could muster up, and felt the faint glimmer of power that was the dragon off to his left, about two hundred feet. He propelled himself forward, his legs kicking steadily through the thick waters. __AHA!! GOTCHA SUCKER! He cheered triumphantly when he saw the unmistakable outline of the sea dragon's large bulk._ Whoa...this dude is a lot bigger than I thought he was. I might have trouble getting outta this one intact!_ Nevertheless, he still pushed forward resolutely. When the unknowledgeable dragon's flesh was less than two feet away from him, he hefted his sword and drove it deep into the skin, causing the dragon's inky black blood to permeate the waters. With a roar of rage, he felt the large bulk begin to move upwards, and held onto the sword with as much strength as he could summon while losing air._

            Stars began to flash before his eyes, and the edge of his vision was getting blurry, but still he held on. He gasped in relief when he felt his head break the water, and hungrily gulped several mouthfuls of much needed air. He then quickly galvanized into action, tugging his sword from the tough flesh of the dragon (and putting it in even more pain) and searching around to find where Kagome was. He had to dodge several times as the dragon's writhing limbs cut through the water. _My sword must've hit a central point._ Looking to the right, he found Kagome hanging limply from the tail of the beast, which was still wrapped around her, and getting slammed into the water every time the dragon convulsed in pain. 

            "LET HER GO!" He shouted, swimming speedily to where she hung and chopping desperately at the scaly hide. Finally he broke through, and strapping his sword to his back and pulling her to his side with his one free arm, he steadily made for shore, feeling his strength waning when he didn't stop for a break. _Just forty more feet..._ he thought, feeling tiny prickles of pain running up and down his leg. _Thirty more feet....he was starting to be dragged under by the extra weight, and accidentally swallowed some of the bloodied water. He spat it out, realizing that there was a very good chance that it was poisonous. _Twenty more, just twenty more!_ The tail of the beast suddenly smashed over one of his legs, causing him to bite his lip from crying out. __Ten, only ten....He had to keep his focus! His whole body was numbing now; he couldn't feel the pain anymore, but it didn't cause him to worry any less._ Five, so close! _ Stretching out with his free hand, he grasped the rocky ledge, and pushing aside the pain of having the sharp edge cut into his hand, he dragged them both onto dry land once more._

            His body shook in painful convulsions, as he struggled to even out his breathing. He took in the state that Kagome was in: She had various cuts and bruises, and her ribs might even be cracked, judging from the pressure of that dragon's tail. Sure enough, they were. She might also suffer from hypothermia. He noticed that she was barely breathing.

            "Dammit." This obviously wasn't good, but he'd pulled out of tougher scrapes before. He would pull out of this one too, and so would she! He half crawled, half dragged himself over to wear his long coat rested on the ground, and brought it back over to her, wrapping her shivering form tightly.

            "I gotta find her a better source of warmth," he muttered. He didn't know why he cared so much for one girl; maybe because she had been so nice to him, or maybe because she reminded him of his younger sister, he didn't know. But hell would freeze over before he let her die on his watch! 

            He levered himself up painfully, figuring out a plan. Kagome had said that that bag over there in the middle of the lake belonged to her, right? Well, than that meant that she must have SOME kind of blanket or cloth to help! He didn't really like having to go back in and face the wrath of the dragon, but he had no choice. With a sort of grim determination, he dived back into the waters, careful not to drink anymore in lest the blood really WAS poison. Through the gloom, he could tell that the dragon wasn't writhing in pain anymore- _too bad, he thought sarcastically- but instead was apparently waiting for him, the angry growls that sounded throughout the water said as much. _Don't I ever get a break?!_ He clutched at the hilt of his sword uneasily, not sure of where or when the dragon would strike. He was nearly blind in the water, having used up most of his energy already, and could not sense where that overgrown worm had disappeared to. Suddenly, he felt the waters shift nearby, and instinctively dodged as best as he could to avoid the sharp, ridged, whip-like tail of the monster from ripping through his stomach.  As it was, he couldn't move that well in the lake, and caught the brunt of the attack on his side. He hissed sharply in pain, inhaling a bit of the bloodied water. Suddenly, his body felt as though it was on fire, every nerve crying out in pain. He nearly screamed from the agony of it. _So I guess that it was poisoned after all._ He had already made the mistake of fighting on the dragon's turf; he couldn't back out now._

            He concentrated, reading the flow of the water to find that worm. Another shift came from his left, and he swam upwards, avoiding the gnashing mouth of the dragon, and swung the sword downwards, ripping through the soft tissue that made up the gums of the dragon. With another roar of fury, it lashed out, catching him in the side. He felt one of his arms crack. That wasn't a good sign. But he was on a roll now! He pumped his legs through the water, and found the spot where the dragon's heart would be beating its black blood throughout the body. He readied the sword, and with a sudden powerful jab, drove it through the hard armor-like scales into its heart. He heard it scream in a mixture of fury and agony; he couldn't really tell which at the time because his air was starting to run out again.

            He hurriedly swam towards the surface, finding himself right near the ledge on which the bag was located. He strapped his sword to his back and scrambled up, sitting down quickly. 

            "I don't think that I want to go swimming again any time soon," he murmured, resting wearily on the stone floor. The ledge that he sat on was about ten feet in diameter, like a small island that rose from the middle of the lake.

            Hearing a low rumbling from behind him, he swiveled around to find himself staring face to face with the dying dragon. The yellow eyes were clouding over, and its breath came in shallow puffs. He suddenly found himself pitying this poor creature. 

            "WHO ARE YOU TO DEFEAT ME, ASIVA, ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL SEA DRAGONS EVER KNOWN TO MAN?" It asked in a booming voice. Mitsukai gazed at it in wonder, momentarily forgetting to speak.

            "WELL?"

            He knew that this was foolhardy; several travelers he had met had told him that under no circumstances should he ever give his name to a dying demon. But something inside told him to do so. "I am Mitsukai Tsubasa, the wanderer."

            "MITSUKAI? WHERE DID YOU GAIN SUCH POWER?"

            He shrugged. "Truth be told, I have no idea." He was starting to calm down now. He had a feeling that this dragon didn't really mean any ill fortune to him.

            It gazed at him thoughtfully for a few seconds. "I HAVE NEVER MET A BEING SUCH AS YOU. I-I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR FREEING ME FROM THE SMURF'S EVIL GRASP."

            "What do you mean?"

            His, for it was definitely a he, breath came quicker. "I HAVE NOT MUCH TIME. THEY WERE CONTROLLING ME. THEY WORK FOR A MAN NAMED NARAKU. MITSUKAI, FOR MY DYING WISH, I ASK THAT YOU USE YOUR POWER TO DEFEAT THAT WICKED MAN. HELP THAT YOUNG WOMAN AND HER FRIENDS IN HER TASK. AND GIVE HER ONE FINAL MESSAGE FROM ME, ALONG WITH AN APOLOGY. TELL HER THAT NARAKU HAS POSESSED SOMETHING PRECIOUS TO HER. TELL HER THAT FOUR LIVES ARE AT STAKE. PLEASE."

            Okay, so things were getting a little weird. Oh well, it was an adventure, of course he'd help! Anyways, it was his basic nature to do so. He nodded, not really understanding. 

            "I HAVE A GIFT FOR YOU, AS MY THANKS FOR FINALLY FREEING ME." The dragon brought forth a long sword, though Mitsukai couldn't really make out the details in the darkness. He accepted the gift wordlessly. 

            The dragon's eyes started to grow dimmer, and it sank lazily into the waters. "THANK YOU, CHILD OF LIGHT." Finally, its eyes stopped glowing, and one last breath was let out in a soft whoosh. 

            Mitsukai just stared, sorrowed, as he watched the dragon sink under the dark lake.

            "Well...that was a learning experience. Wait a minute, what did that dragon-I mean Asiva, mean by calling me 'Child of Light'?!" He shrugged it off, thinking that Asiva had only been referring to his name.

            Strapping his newest sword to his back along with his old one, he struggled to lift Kagome's backpack. "What does that girl put in here?" He groaned painfully as he felt his ribs strain while already cracked, "Rocks?!"

            And with that, he slowly swam back ashore, strapping Kagome up as best as he could; bandaging her wounds and such with the items he found in her pack. He avoided the chest area though; some places men are just not allowed to go, no matter what the circumstances. He checked her pulse and breathing, and finding that they had settled into a more natural rhythm, sat back with a sigh of relief, but winced painfully when he remembered that he still had to bandage himself up. 

            "Dammit...this hurts..." he muttered, wrapping his leg up tightly, and then worked on his cracked ribs. Too late he realized that he had forgotten to take an antidote for the poison, and slumped to the ground in exhaustion. He rummaged around in the first aid kit he found (he just called it a Healer's case) and managed to choke down some of the burning antidote for the poison. With a tired sigh, he then wrapped Kagome up in another blanket, making sure she didn't get cold. He leaned back against the hard rock wall and slowly fell into slumber.

            "This is turning out to be one hell of an adventure...."

************************************************************************

            Inuyasha ran purposefully through the woods, with Miroku, Sango and Shippo all flying above him on Kirara. His mind was totally centered on rescuing Kagome. Although he didn't know what the monk was planning, he was almost positive that it would work. 

            "Inuyasha!" Miroku called down from Kirara, "Are we almost to where you found the place where Kagome was last?"

            "Yeah, just a ways more Monk!" Inuyasha replied, increasing his speed unintentionally. Kagome just had to be okay, she just had to! He couldn't imagine life without her! If she was harmed in any way, all of those little bastards who kidnapped her would find themselves strung out on a line by their guts! 

            Inuyasha's violent thoughts were interrupted by a sudden cry of help ahead of them. _What now?!_

            They burst out of the trees to find Kouga locked in battle with both Kagura and Kanna.

            "Give it up Wolf!" Kagura snarled, "I'm in a bad mood today! Don't test my limits!"

            "What have I done to you?!" Kouga snarled right back, avoiding the volley of sharp feather darts she had launched at him.

            "You won't tell me where that human brat Kagome is!"

            "Why do you want to know?!"

            "JUST TELL ME!!"

            Their fight was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Inuyasha in the mix, as he set about with Tetsusaiga, slashing at anyone and anything within reach.

            "We'll see you later, Wolf!" threatened Kagura as she and Kanna beat a hasty retreat.

            "Not if I see you first!"

            "SHUT UP!" And then they were gone, vanished on the winds.

            "So," Inuyasha drawled threateningly, "where is Kagome? Or do I have to force it from you?" He cracked his knuckles dangerously.

            "What do you mean, 'where is she'? She's with you of course!"

            "Not from what I'm seeing!"

            "You mean she didn't get back to you?"

            "No, she didn't."

            "Uh-oh...."

            "Yeah, you better run now before I kill you for leaving her!"

            "Wait a minute Inuyasha, we could use Kouga's help in our mission!" Sango intervened.

            "Yeah, she's right Inuyasha, don't kill him just yet!" Shippo begged.

            "Fine." Inuyasha despondently returned Tetsusaiga to its sheathe. 

            "Now, all of you, let me outline my plan," requested Miroku, "So, this is what we do..."

************************************************************************

            Okay, there, a long chappy. Do you forgive me now? I'll be updating a lot sooner now, I promise! In about two or three days, at most! Okay? Also, just to tell you, the only feelings Mitsukai has for Kagome is that she reminds him of his younger sister, okay? That's it. She's like a sister to him. That's ALL. Just to reassure you guys. And remember, tell me what you think in the poll! Ja!


	12. Trouble's in the Air!

            Hey! I'm back like I promised! And I must say I am surprised! A lot of you people answered the riddle correctly in a review, but you weren't the people who I asked to solve it! AND NO MULTIPLE ANSWERS!! What are you people, cheaters?! Anyways, the correct answer was 'Divine Design'. *sigh* Anyways, let me say this out CLEARLY. ONLY people who won the first set of riddles may try the NEXT set of riddles, okay? Cause I can only have ONE person in this story! Now, this next riddle is very hard, and very confusing. The first one (all the rules above apply) to answer it wins. Even if someone else gets it, okay? Good. Here it is.

            "Think of words ending in -GRY. Angry and hungry are two of them. There are only three words in the English language. What is the third word? The word is something that everyone uses everyday. If you have listened carefully, I have already told you what it is."

            ^_^ Have fun!

            And also on our list of stuff to discuss, the current poll stands now:

            Have Mitsukai die: 1

            Have Mitsukai live: 6

Me: Well darn. It seems the people like you Mitsukai. Who would've thought?

Mitsukai: HA! IN YOUR FACE!

Me: HEY! Don't get all tripped about it! Jerk!

Mitsukai: Me? A jerk?! You're the one that wanted to kill me!

Me: *sniff* Anyways, some of the reviewers have already given me some ideas for you. *grins evilly*

Mitsukai: I don't like the way this is going...

Me: Well, at least it's nice to know that SOMEONE else out there agrees with me that you are the most annoying brother-like guy out there. Kudos to you, Hamtaro Cutie! 

Mitsukai: Oh yeah? Well-well, a lifetime supply of chocolate and sweets and pocky to MY fans!

Me: I can play it that way! A FREE BISHIE TO ALL OF *MY* FANS!

Mitsukai: I'LL GIVE AS MANY BISHIES TO MY FANS AS THEY WANT!!

Unknown fangirl: Would YOU count as one of those bishies Kai-chan? 

Mitsukai: W-what?!

Unknown fangirl: ^_^ Cause I want YOU.

Mitsukai: Uh...

Me: ) I'll just leave you two alone for now. Also, Lil'Lyn713, as I SPECIFICALLY stated in the last chapter, the only relationship that Mitsukai has with Kagome is a brother/sister type of relationship. She reminds him of his sister (his background will be explained). NOTHING ELSE; he just feels protective of her, cause she was so nice. Okay, now on to the story!

            Oh, and one more thing. Shadowspinner, I would LOVE to just post up what that one creep wrote and seriously humiliate them, but I-uh...kinda deleted it. Um...yeah. ^_^ But hey, I did respond to him. And let's just say that there's another war in this country besides the one with Iraq. ^-^ I said a teensy bit too much in my reply. He got angry, and responded, and now we're basically flaming each other. Anyways, some of the words he said in the e-mail were a bit....sickening....for this fic. Remember, I rated it PG-13. His words were rated R.

            And last but not least, this chap is dedicated to Tomboy, who REALLY wants some Sango/Miroku fluff. ^^;; Well, your wish is granted!

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**Kitten Caboodle**

**Chapter 12: Trouble's In the Air!**

            The first thing Kagome noticed when she slowly woke into consciousness was a burning, throbbing pain in her chest. She quietly gasped at the shock, wondering where she was and why she was in pain. And then it all came back to her: the Smurfs, Mitsukai, the giant dragon, the black water, and darkness.  She groaned and clutched at her head; it was too much to remember! Then she realized that she was on dry land, and seemed to have some of her injuries bandaged. Another jolt of pain in her chest awakened her further. She painfully sat up, finding that several blankets and even a cloak were wrapped around her. She meticulously untangled herself from the warm cloths, only to regret it when her still slightly frozen body was met with the cool air of the cave.

            She looked around quizzically. She was so sure that she had died! How did she get back on dry land? Her question was answered when she spotted Mitsukai resting against the stone wall of the cave a few feet from her. Or at least she thought that it was Mitsukai, for she could only make out his dark shape. She frowned; this place could really use some lighting! She moved slowly, unsure of any other injuries she might have. Her hand stumbled upon something, and she squinted in the darkness to see what it was.

            "YES!!" she cheered softly, recognizing her overly large yellow bag, stuffed full of some much needed stuff. She happily pulled out the battery-powered lantern she brought, and swiftly lit it. She got up, groaning slightly at the aching pain that came from her chest. She guessed that she had some cracked or broken ribs at least. She made her way over to the sleeping form that was Mitsukai. She held out the lantern, studying the peaceful face of her newest ally. 

            He had silky blonde hair-nearly golden-that seemed to defy gravity, jutting up this way and that, managing to look more styled than messy. His face was slightly tanned, and it seemed that he had NEVER once had a blemish in his life. She felt a stab of jealousy run through her; if her face was that beautifully sculpted, Inuyasha would have surely confessed his love to her sooner, instead of making her wait in anxious wonder! (*snicker* Sorry 'bout that little comment!) Judging by his boyish looks, he appeared to be around her age. She frowned; there was something wrong here...She looked over the rest of him, wondering what it could be. Two different swords were strapped to his back, even though she was sure that he had only one. His breathing was a little erratic, as if he was in the grasp of some kind of nightmare. Pain clearly showed on his unlined face. She frowned again. She checked the rest of him, and found to her shock that his body was riddled with cuts, bruises, gashes, he even had what appeared to be a broken leg! And the bluish color around his neck didn't look healthy. His arm was also bent at a seemingly painful angle; it's either broken or cracked. And to top it all off, he was sleeping against the hard rock wall, while she got the comfy blankets! OBVIOUSLY, he was hurt more! Her frown deepened; he probably took special care of her just because she was a girl! _Why that lousy, biased no-good son of a b----wait a minute. I shouldn't be thinking that. He saved me, after all. _She sighed in mock disappointment; this guy was just too chivalrous for his own good!

            She was distracted from her thoughts by a low groan from the sleeping boy. She quickly dragged the blankets and her bag over to him. Digging through the backpack to find her first aid kit, she discovered that Mitsukai had it by his side. _So HE was the one that bandaged me! She smiled at the thought, _At least he's honest enough not to have bandaged my chest; I should thank him for that later. But now, HE really needs some medical attention!_ She quickly set to work, bandaging his wounds. _Hmmm...I wonder why he has that bluish tone to his neck...._ She looked around for some sort of clue, and found the antidote bottle. _Ah....I see...he was poisoned. Wait a minute...HE WAS POISONED?!_ Her brow furrowed in concern, _And by the look of it he didn't drink enough of the antidote! Stupid baka!__

            Well, she was gonna have to wake him up. Hesitantly, she stretched out her hand and carefully shook his shoulder.

            "Mitsukai, wake up! Wake up, you idiot!" she whispered loudly. And still he slept on. "MITSUKAI NO BAKA!! WAKE UP!!" Well, if that didn't wake him up, nothing would.

            He slowly opened his eyes, and Kagome found herself staring into two crystal, cerulean blue eyes that glowed with a sort of inner light. (Yeah. I borrowed that from Cloud. Brat's lucky; he's got cute eyes!)

            "Wassrong?" He asked groggily, blinking quickly to banish the weight from his eye lids. "Kagome? You're *yawn* already awake?"

            "Yes, I'm awake. But let's skip the chit chat for now, you need to finish drinking the rest of this antidote, you baka! I don't want you to die on me!" She thrust the small bottle filled with the purplish fluid at him.

            He grimaced and muttered something about 'more poison' and 'acid'.

            "Just drink it!" she ordered, glaring at him. He glared right back, and then dropped his gaze in defeat. He grumpily snatched the bottle from her and with one final glare, twisted the cap off and chugged down the rest of the contents. A few seconds passed by, and Kagome noted a change in his demeanor. His face had lost the bluish look, but now sported a cherry red tone. His eyes watered, and his mouth was twisted in a sort of grimace. 

            She smiled and cheerily said, "There's some water in my pack." He nodded and quickly dashed to her yellow bag, rifling through its contents till he found the bottle of fresh water. He tore off the cap and practically choked on the refreshingly cold drink. With a sigh of relief he sat back down, the red color gone from his skin.

            "You are cruel, you know that?" he asked, irritated and more than slightly miffed, "Very cruel."

            "Why thank you Mitsukai! You are so kind!" she replied mockingly. 

            His gorgeous blue eyes narrowed as he adopted the look of a pouting four-year-old who had just been scolded for something he didn't do. "You could show me a little more appreciation you know! I saved your life from that dragon after all!"

            She giggled at his expression, rolling her eyes, "Jeez Mitsukai, you're worse than my little brother Souta!" 

            "Yeah, well YOU'RE worse than MY little sister was!" His eyes widened, and he suddenly dropped the playful attitude and fell into silence, his eyes not meeting hers.

            Kagome didn't have a clue as to what had happened, and thought for a few moments before finally figuring it out. _He said that I am worse than his sister WAS. That must mean...._She gazed at him sadly. "Mitsukai? Are you okay?"

            "Fine." Came the cold and short reply.

            "No you're not. Please, tell me about it?" she pleaded, looking at him hopefully.

            "I would rather not." Well, at least it wasn't a one-word sentence. 

            "Well, you know that you can talk to me at anytime. I'm your friend."

            "We only just met, how could you already be my friend? We've only known each other for a few hours."

            "And during those few hours you have rescued me from a giant water dragon, tended my wounds-before yours might I add-and have willingly risked your life for me. If that doesn't count as friendship, I don't know what does." She stared determinedly at him.

            He just blinked at her in confusion.

            Blink blink. 

            Blink blink.  She blinked back. 

            Blink.

            Blink.

            "Okay, that's getting annoying," he stated.

            Blink.

            "Stop it," he ordered.

            Blink. "Stop what?"

            "THAT," he exclaimed.

            "What?" Blink.

            "Stop blinking at me like that!"

            Blink. "Sorry."

            "Forget it," he sighed and turned away. "Right now we should concentrate on getting out of here."

            "I got one question for you."

            "What is it?"

            "How did you save me from that dragon?"

            "Oh, you mean Asiva?"

            "It had a name?!"

            "YES, HE had a name! And to answer your question, I fought him. Defeated him. He gave me a new sword along with a message to you. He died. End of story."

            Long pause.

            "So?" she asked.

            "So what?"

            "What was the message you're supposed to give me?!"

            "Oh yeah, that. He said for me to tell you that he was sorry for nearly killing you, and something about that freaky Naraku dude possessing something precious to you, and that that four lives are at stake. Also, I'm supposed to help you defeat that guy." 

            "I wonder what he meant?" 

            "Don't look at me. I sure don't know," he shrugged. 

            "Hm...Naraku's possessed something dear to me and four lives are endangered. Who are those four lives????" A sudden thought occurred to her. "Oh no...what if it's my friends?! Inuyasha, Shippo, Sango, and Miroku?!" She gasped.

            "Well, we should get out of here and go find them!"

            "But how?"

            "Hey, this new sword that Asiva gave me can't be totally useless, can it?" He hefted up said sword, studying it in the light provided by the lantern. It was truly an odd sword. Nearly as long as Mitsukai was, it was about a foot across, and glimmered with an odd blue light. Strange markings danced along the sides, and a golden engraving was written near the hilt. The hilt itself was made of some strange golden metal twisted into the form of two wings, and had a large sapphire embedded in the handle. The grip that covered the handle was made of some sort of scale (most likely a dragon's) and for some odd reason the sword weighed practically nothing. 

            He experimentally swung it in the air, marveling at its swiftness and strength. He tested its powers on a nearby rock, and was amazed to find the rock shatter into two.

            "This sword is awesome!" He began to swing it like a maniac, attacking everything in sight.

            Kagome sweatdropped. "Mitsukai?! Mitsukai it's not nice to do that--leave the poor fishes alone!--You could hurt somebody with that thing--ack! You almost hit me!--Drop the damn sword you spiky-haired freak!" She quickly threw a sizable rock at him, knocking him in the back of the head.

            "Owowowowowowow!!" He ran around, clutching his pounding head.

            "And people say that INUYASHA has a thick skull...." she muttered, stalking up to him and whacking him once more in the head for good measure.

            "Ow, Kagome, why'd you do that?!" he whined.

            "Because you were slowly slipping into Insane-Gaga-World!" she countered. "Anyways, I see that you're feeling much better. Why don't you get us out of here?"

            "Well, we can't leave yet. You're still not healed."

            "I managed to bandage myself, thank-you-very-much! I can walk! But now I wanna get outta here!"

            He sighed in defeat. "Fine, but you're going to need some sort of defense."

            She smirked at that, "Don't worry. I've got some."

            "Well, if you're sure...just one more question. How is that lantern staying lit without fire?"

            She sweatdropped again. "Did you only just notice that?" Nod. "Well.......I'll tell you later, just let's get out of here!"

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With the rest of the gang....

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            About twenty minutes later after meeting up with Kouga, Inuyasha had managed to trace Kagome's scent back to where Kouga had left her. They searched around a bit, and found hundreds of small, barely noticeable footprints leading to what looked to be a giant tree; and stopping at the tree might I add.

            By this time, everyone was just plain exasperated.

            "Well, they can't have just vanished into thin air Inuyasha!" Miroku was arguing with said hanyou. "They have to lead someplace. We should check the tree for clues."

            "And I'm telling you, there is nothing but a TREE there! There must be some way for them to fly or something!" Inuyasha argued right back.

            "Maybe the Monk's right, Inu-baka! We should search around!" Kouga pointed out, now adopting a different horribly insulting name for Inuyasha.

            Meanwhile, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara had already come to that conclusion, and had found the secret entrance while the three BOYS were fighting over what to do next.

            "Miroku! Kouga! Inuyasha! We found the entrance! Get over here!" shouted Shippo as he followed Sango into the door that had appeared in the tree when he accidentally leaned against a certain part of the tall, red-barked tree. All three incredibly-cute-but-insanely-idiotic boys stopped their argument and looked at the door in confusion, which slowly turned into consternation. Grumbling about how it was the men's job to rescue the damsel in distress, they followed Sango into the dark pathway that seemed to wind down into the ground. But Kouga stopped for a second, seemingly thinking about something.

            "What are you waiting for, Wolf?! Hurry it up!" shouted Inuyasha.

            "Inuyasha, you said that Kagome had left a pet of hers at a friend's house, right?"

            "Yeah, so?"

            "Well, somebody needs to tell her friend about this recent development. And since I'm the fastest one here, I believe that I should go."

            "What? Are you trying to chicken out?"

            "No, I'm just worried that her friend might get too worried and then come search for us. I don't want anybody else to possibly be in danger."

            "Huh? Well, that's the smartest thought you've had all day Wolf. I guess you should go then. Oh, yeah, and the one who's taking care of Kagome's WICKED kitten is a hanyou by Utsushineko."

            "Thanks, Inu-"

            "Say baka and I'll kill you."

            "-yasha. I'll only be gone for a little while. Don't get into too much trouble without me!" And with that, Kouga headed off in a whirlwind for the 'kitty-sitter's house.'

            "Hm...It would seem that Kouga is not such a bad guy now that you and he are not competing for Kagome's heart anymore," interjected Miroku.

            "Humph. What are you talking about Monk?"

            "*sigh* Let's just go rescue Kagome-sama."

            "Miroku, let's hear your plan one more time, just so that we have all the parts straight," asked Sango as she appeared next to the contemplating duo. 

            "Ah, Lady Sango, you want to hear the plan again, or do you just want to hear my voice?" countered the always perverted Miroku.

            "Um-I-uh...." Sango stammered, growing red in the face. 

            "Just kidding Lady Sango," smiled Miroku, chuckling a little. But not unnoticed by anybody, his Wandering Hands™ wandered just a little too far below Sango's waist line.

            "HENTAI!!" 

            WHAM!

            As Inuyasha watched the angered Sango stalk away, he looked back down to the swirly-eyed Miroku and commented, "One of these days she's gonna kill you Monk."

            Miroku looked a little sad at this. With a small sigh he stood back up. "You're right."

            "Huh?"

            "In fact, I bet that's all she feels for me, is hate. I mean, what have I ever done to deserve otherwise? *sigh* It's not like she would ever feel the same for me as I do her....."

            "And I ask again: Huh?"

            He shrugged. "Never mind."

            Inuyasha looked a little wary about this, but decided to confront the seemingly depressed Miroku another time; now wasn't the best choice. So the five companions just strode the pathway in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

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            And through it all Smurfs still sang, "La la la la lalallalalala!! 

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            Okay, that ending was just messed up. *shrug* Oh well. Anyways, sorry this chap was later than usual; I had a lot of things to do this week. Sorry again. But honestly, I'm really trying hard to get each chap out at least once a week. But anyways, the next chap will be chock full of fluff and drama, so stay tuned!

Mitsukai: Why do you hate me?

Me: I don't hate you! I just like torturing you! ^_~

Mitsukai: Really?

Me: Of course! Anyways, be glad, cause in reality, you're my fave OC!

Mitsukai: REALLY?! *BIG happy dopey Tai-and-Davis-the-soccer-freaks' smile*

Me: *nod* Really! And while we're on the subject, could you pay for dinner?

Mitsukai: How'd we get on that subject?!

Me: *innocent smile* Please? *big puppy eyes* From little sister to big brother?

Mitsukai: *grumble* Honestly, I pity Ashitaka for being stuck with you! *mutter* Fine.

Me: ^_~ Thanks Kai-chan!

Mitsukai: Don't call me that! *shudder*

Me: *sly smile* So....how'd you and that Unknown Fan Girl get along? *wink*

Mitsukai: *flat tone of voice* I managed to lose her in the mall.

Me: *grin* Anyways, review please! Oh, and for all of you who are wondering when my cousin Brat will update her story, she'll have it up tomorrow! ^^;; She was grounded from writing stories. Parents. Can't live with them, can't buy a Playstation 2 without them! 

Mitsukai: Ja! 


	13. Note: Where are my reviews?

^_^ Hey all! Well, I noticed that I have only gotten ONE review! Well, anyways, I'm here to tell ya that Sailor Saturn is the official winner of the contest! *waves little M. Trunks and Saturn flag* And to also tell you that I have made both a color and pencil drawing of Mitsukai, if anyone wants him. ^_^ Just tell me in a review or e-mail me, okay? Oh, and say which one you want. Personally, I like the pencil one better, cause with the color one it was my first time using Adobe. Or you could have both. He looks cute in both. 

Mitsukai: CUTE?!

Me: *nod* What a cute big brother you are! Anyways, there is a story behind the picture (I'll turn it into a small side-story and post it later on).

Mitsukai: ^_^ Cool. I get another story?

Me: Yep.

Mitsukai: Awesome.

Me: Anyways, I hope that I get MORE REVIEWS *hint hint*! And also, for all of you who get the pic, could ya tell me what you think of it? You know, I need some constructive criticism here! But all in all, for one of my first OC characters, he's quite good. 

            And remember, the poll still stands! (Mitsukai: WHAT?! YOU STILL WANT TO KILL ME?! I'M TOO CUTE TO DIE!!!) See ya later,  ja ne!


	14. The Story of the Pendant! Mitsukai's Pas...

            {Revised edition: Thanks Saturn! I forgot to change that one mistake before I uploaded! *whams head on desk* Stupid me!}

            Hello minna! I know that you all have been waiting for me to update, so I'll make this REALLY short, 'kay? Well, short for me anyway....Okay, for one, I have to say that I'm REALLY sorry Litwolf for not giving a longer time for you to try and win, so to make it up to you, I MIGHT just...I dunno....add you in maybe? Hmmm....lemme plan for a while. *snaps fingers* Okay. I thought long enough. I'll mention you in the side-story I'm doing to this! Okay? *sad puppy dog eyes* I HATE angering people. But I'm only doing this for you 'cause you're one of the best reviewers I got. (Okay....so every reviewer is great...but...whatever...)

            Oh yeah, and Jack, just ta let ya know, 'ja' is like 'see you soon' and 'ja ne' is like 'see you in two months'. Get it? 'Ja ne' is like a longer and more permanent good-bye. See? I learned it while checking out some hacker sites on the comp....don't ask how.

            And the poll stands at:

            Kill Kai-chan: 2 (Jack, Hamtaro Cutie, you are the BEST!! I know I shouldn't be wanting to kill off my own OC, but he's REALLY getting on my nerves!! HE ATE ALL THE FOOD IN THE FRIDGE!! *sniffs and cries* AND THEN HE HID MY ASHI PLUSHIE FROM ME!! WHHHHHHHAAAAAAA!! WHERE'S MY ASHI PLUSHIE?! WHERE?!)

            Let him live:  Er...more than six I think. *glowers*

            Me: *sighs* Well Kai-chan...it looks like you live. *mutters* But I might just kill you off for stealing my Ashi plushie....

            Mitsukai: YESSSSSSSS!! W00T!! GO ME!! *bows* Thank you to all my loyal fans! And as promised, here is your reward! *motions to a giant cage filled with bishies of all kinds; bishies that are shouting at him and calling him a betrayer* ^^;; The things I do for my fans....

            Me: ­­¬_¬* You are just too conceited for your own good, ya know that?

            Mitsukai: *nods enthusiastically*

            Me: *reads over one of the reviews and grins sadistically* Hey, Kai-chan. Look at what Kim wrote. 

            Mitsukai: *reads the review* -_o That is SO not funny...

            Me: It seems that one of my reviewers thinks that you're a girl. *snicker*

            Mitsukai: -_- Shut it. 

            Me: On to the fic!

            Mitsukai: *drawls* Greeeeeeeaaaattttttt....more chances for you to hurt me. I'm all a flutter. *sarcastic*

            Me: Also, a warning for this chapter, mucho drama! There is still humor, but we're touching upon Kai-chan's past here, and that isn't anything funny. 

            Mitsukai: *glare*

            Me: You have been warned. *giggle*

            Mitsukai: Oh yeah, just ruin the moment, will you?!

            Me: *grins* Sorry, dude.

Disclaimer: -_-* No comment..... *glare* 

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**Kitten Caboodle**

**Chapter 13:The Story of the Pendant! Mitsukai's Past Revealed!**

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            Kai-chan's POV

            _Well....isn't this the perfect fine dandy little day. I get my pendant stolen --for no good reason might I add! -- by Monkey Man and his Lackies, and then once I manage to retrieve it, I get captured by the singing freaks. And then they go and take my pendant again. What is with bad guys and their obsession with my pendant?! Sure, it's pretty, the crystal all clear and shiny and has all these vibrant colors floating around in it, not to mention the odd writing lining it, but really? It can't be worth much, that's for sure! Hell, it's just a stupid piece of junk. It only has sentimental value. Maybe a little more. What's so special about it? *sigh* And then after the singing freaks kidnap me and leave me in this huge freaking dark cave with a DRAGON, I get my ass whipped by said dragon. But then in round two I killed the dragon...but still got my ass whipped in the end. By a woman. A woman who forced me to drink the Antidote of Burning, Acidic Doom™. Hey, at least I got a cool sword. And now we --me and Kagome-- are on a 'quest' to get outta here and find her friends. But I ain't leavin' till I get my pendant back. No siree. I'll go through all of those tone-deaf little buggers first, if I have to! I look over at Kagome, who is starting to breathe heavily. _

            "Should we stop? You don't look so well," I stated. Actually, she looks like she could keel over at any minute. 

            She shook her head as we walked down one of the long, stone halls that riddled this creepy place. "I'm okay. I just wanna get outta here."

            I narrowed my eyes at her. "Riiiighhhhhhhttttttt," I drawled, "If you define 'well' as being about to pass out from sheer exhaustion, then I'd hate to see what you call 'bad'." 

            Her face flushed slightly as she shot a heated glare at me. "I'm fine. Really."

            I just glared right back at her. Okay, so call me overprotective, but I wasn't about to let another girl die on me! So maybe I'm exaggerating the situation here a little bit, but still....

            Seeing the firm resolve in my eyes she decided to listen to me.  She sat down on the smooth, rock floor, leaning against the wall. She started to rummage through that bag of hers that I dropped by her feet. Man....how can she carry it?! It weighs a ton! I heard her give a soft gasp of delight, and watched as she pulled out assorted...things....What they were, I had no idea. I decided to state my confusion.

            "What the hell are those?" I asked, pointing at the....things.

            She grinned smugly, for some strange reason. Hmmm...there was definitely something odd going on. I mean, is she a sorceress or something? Her clothes, her speech, even her possessions all scream 'different'. Way different. I'm gonna have to ask her about that. But now's not the time. Right now, she just pulled out what looked to be some sort of cylindrical object, had pointed it at the wall, pulled a trigger, and then whammo! Instant melty-wall goo! How did she MELT a hole into the wall?! 

            "These are the...weapons...that my mom had mysteriously packed in this bag earlier on. Don't ask me why she did though. As to that, I have no answer."

            I stared at her in shock as she happily went through the rest of the stuff. I spied nets, what she called 'instant cement', more of that Acid-in-a-Bottle, 'super glue', and assorted other items that had me begging to try out on the Smurfs. 

            "Where in the world did you get these things?!" I exclaimed, my hands itching to try out that rubbery bomb that she had described to me. You stick this weird dough-like mixture on the wall, add a cord to it, go to the other end of the cord, ignite the cord, and BOOM!! Instant hole in the wall! She said that it was used a lot in espionage, thievery, and mainly war. Man...if I had some of that stuff a few years ago.....I would be RICH now.

            She noticed me eyeing the bomb. Damn. I was planning on sneaking some. 

            "No Mitsukai. You are NOT going to use ANY of these items. Do I make myself clear?" she chided, packing the stuff back into the bag again.

            "Yeah. Yep, crystal clear. I read ya loud and clear. I am NOT to use any of that stuff. I stay away from it. Me no touch. I understand ya, I won't----hey! OO!! What's dat? Gimme!!"

            She glared at me again as she jerked the grenades I was eyeing out of my reach. "NO Mitsukai. Bad boy."

            I glowered. "I am no child."

            "You're acting like one."

            "No I'm not."

            "Yes you are."

            "NO, I'm not!" I whined, pouting.

            She gave me a look that said quite clearly 'yeah, right, and I'm the emperor's daughter. You just keep telling yourself that buddy.' It seems that all women I've met know that look. It must be taught to them by their mothers. Or maybe it's inherent. Just another one of the mysteries of life, I guess. I looked at another one of the things she was packing. What the?! OO!! Cement silly string! Cool! I want some! I reached out to grab the can, but had my hand slapped away by --you guessed it!-- Kagome!

            "Aw, c'mon Kagome! I wanna try it out!" I pleaded.

            A sly look came over her face. _Uh-oh. This isn't good. Abort the mission!  Abort the mission! Forget the damn silly string! _My instincts were yelling. Sadly, my instincts' voice was drowned out by the other, much larger voice in my head chanting, 'gimmegimmegimmegimme! I want silly string!'

            "Okay Mitsukai, here's the deal. I'll let you have any three items from this bag, IF you tell me about yourself and your past."

            I froze. Man, the deal was tempting. But....

            I winced at what I remembered. _Could I really tell her? Do I really trust her that much already? _I took one look at her hopeful face. Mentally, I sighed. 

            "Okay. Deal. But *I* set the rules."

            She looked puzzled at this. "What do you mean?"

            "Rule number one: No interrupting. Got it?"

            She nodded.

            "Rule number two: You may not like what you hear, so I want you to promise me that you won't....look....at me....differently. Okay?"

            A suspicious look crossed her face, but she nodded.

            "Rule number three: I don't want you to treat me different. No pity? Got it?"

            Now she was starting to realize the seriousness of what I would be talking about. She hesitated, and then nodded once more.

            "And last but not least: Do not tell *anyone* what I am about to tell you. Not unless it was a life or death situation. Which I doubt would happen in any case."

            She nodded for the last time, a determined gleam coming into her eye. 

            I ran a hand through my golden hair, sighing softly. "Where should I start....?"

            "The beginning is a good place," she quipped.

             I glared at her for a minute, and then broke into muffled laughter. "Fine with me."

            She gazed at me expectantly, shifting on the ground to get more comfortable.

            "I'll try and make this a short as possible."

            "Just get on with it," she ordered. I grinned ruefully. Oh yeah. This girl was definitely like my sister!

            "Well, to start, I was born sixteen years ago in a small province called the 'Angel Haven.'" I saw her glance questioningly at me. "I'll explain the name later. Anyways, my father was a respectable man, he worked as a trader, traveling from our land to others, bringing back rare items for the people that lived in Angel Haven. My mother...they told me that she was beautiful. In fact, they said that I resemble her a lot. She was somewhat like the princess of Angel Haven. Royalty." I smile bitterly. "The people loved her. And then I was born....Let's just say that they --the people-- didn't agree with the union between my father and mother. My parents didn't care though. Two years after they had married, I was born. Another year later, my sister was born. She took after father more than I did. She had raven black hair, and violet eyes that always seemed to be sparkling with an inner joy, and a laugh was always on her lips. She was the best sister anyone could hope for. I took my role as big brother seriously. Whenever she was sad or down about something the townsfolk said, I was always there to brighten her up again.

            We lived in peace for quite a while, although we were ridiculed because of what we were. We didn't care. We always treated the people of the province with respect, though only God knows why we did. They never seemed to return it. Everywhere we went, the half-whispered curses and names followed us, and every time we looked we could see about half of those threats and curses could have been carried out. Yet still we strode on, always living up to our royal inheritance, and we never treated anyone without courtesy and respect. Though I know that every time I heard one of those bastards mutter something about my sister I wanted to wring their scrawny necks, though I was but a young boy of five.

            And then, out of the blue, mother caught a rare disease and died. Father was in hysterics. He was so distraught that he was driven to insanity, always tinkering down in his lab under the mansion, trying to find a way to bring her back to life. Naturally, I took care of my sister the whole time. But as we grew older, I noticed that the half-veiled threats were starting to grow in intensity. The servants of our mansion --most loyal to us-- noticed too, and tried to convince my father to take us and move to another province, away from the growing danger of rebellion. He refused to go, saying something about not being able to leave his Sakura; that was my mom's name. He hadn't even let the undertakers bury mother, keeping her body locked up in her room where it lay.

            Around the time when I turned ten, another tragedy occurred. The mansion was attacked by the rebels, everyone slaughtered." I shuddered in remembrance, avoiding Kagome's gaze. "The only reason me and my sister survived was because one of the servants had hidden us in a secret tunnel that ran from our room to a cave about two miles out of town. We waited there for hours, waiting to be found. Finally, me and Sis made our way back to the mansion. When we got there....it was horrible. I recognized the servant who had saved us, Takota was his name, lying dead near the doorway. We wandered throughout the whole mansion. Nobody had been left alive. I found father, in his workshop, and I remember how mad Sis got when I wouldn't let her see what had become of him. It was horrible.

            Once we made our way to the main hallway, I found all the rebels there waiting. For us. We ran, and they chased after. We raced back along the tunnel, but still they gained on us. We exited out of the cave and tried to lose them in the forest. Soon we were stopped by a river, a large one at that. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. I could see the rebels making their way toward us slowly. They knew that we couldn't get away. I remember how Sis looked at me with such a serious expression. She was very mature for a nine year old. And then she took off her favorite pendant, the one that had been given to her when she turned seven. By me. It was originally mine, but it had given me a lotta good luck, so I gave it to her to signify that we would always be with each other. Sappy, I know. Ya can't blame me. I was only eight at the time. She handed it to me and said the very same words I had said to her. Gods...I can't believe she remembered them." I felt the tears start to prick at the corner of my eyes. "'As long as you have this, I'll always be there for you. No matter what, no matter where, no matter how. Always.' She gave it back to me, and all I could do was stare at her in shock. And I remember then, how she smiled.

            And then she-she pushed me into the river, distracting the rebels so that *I* could live. Isn't that backwards?! Wasn't *I* supposed to be the one to give up my life for *her*?!" I felt my hands clench, could feel the nails biting into my skin. "Gods, I could only watch them kill her as I was helplessly pulled by the river's current. And then, all I remember is falling, and darkness. I think I went over a waterfall or something.

            When I came to, it took me a while to remember what had happened. Once I did...well...my mind kind of blanked out for a while. I nearly died on several occasions. And then one day, I remembered the pendant I was wearing, and I dunno...I just....snapped back into place. I decided that I would become a swordsman, one who could protect, so that it would never happen to me again. I never wanted to feel so helpless. After a few years of training, I managed to track all the rebels down and kill the ones who were without mercy.  And so, here I am, having seen all of my friends die, my family die, and I have decided to help you. To protect you. For some reason or another, you remind me of Sis." I shrugged at that. I was always very blunt when it came to speech. I said what I meant, and I meant what I said. "And that is my life story in a nutshell," I finished. Man, does anybody have some water? I'm parched! I still carefully avoided looking at her though. "But don't even *think* about pitying me. What's done is done, I can't change the past. I've gotten over it. I'm happy knowing that I finally got my revenge."

            "Mitsukai?" came the hesitant voice.

            "Hm?" I still avoided looking at her. I knew that I'd see the pity, no matter what I had asked of her.

            "I've....never...had someone like you for an older brother. Miroku and Kouga come close, but they weren't really out to be my brothers." I heard her giggle slightly at this. "But I was wondering, would *you* be my older brother?" I jerked my shocked gaze up to her calm one. "You make a really spiffy older brother, ya know!" she added in.

            _Spiffy? Well, I wasn't complaining. I have absolutely no idea why she asked that though. "Um....sure, I guess." _

            "Yay!" she cheered, launching herself forward and glomping me. Man...that hurts. I finally managed to pry her off. Thank God. It was starting to get hard to breathe. I think some ribs cracked too.....

            "Er...Kai-chan?" she tentatively asked. My head swiveled around at the nickname. _Kai-chan?! I'll let it slide for now though....._

            "Yeah, Kagome?"

            "If it isn't too much trouble, could you tell me your sister's name? Please?" _Gods....what is with the pleading eyes?! It's like my one and only weakness! How did she find it out so fast?! I sighed exasperatedly, but nonetheless told her. "Tenshi. Her name was Tenshi." _

            Kagome then smiled, not full of pity as I expected, but a real, genuine smile. She then pushed the yellow bag toward me. "Time for me to hold up my end of the deal. It was definitely worth it."

            _Oh yeah! I crowed in my mind as I rummaged through the various destructive forces. In the end, I choose the 'bomb play-dough', the 'cement silly string', and the 'Acid-in-a-Bottle™'.  Boy, was I happy then. Although, I have to admit, Kagome *did* look a little.....frightened.....at my choices. _

            She looked at my triumphant and giddy expression warily. "Just....don't come near me with those......."

            _Time to kick some Smurf ass!! My mind cheered._

            Suddenly, I noticed that Kagome had seemed to realize something, by the look on her face. "Kai-chan? I have another question...."

            I winced. _Damn that nickname to hell...._

            "What....were....your parents? And why was that province called Angel Haven?"

            I sighed. Darn her. She's smarter than she looks to actually catch that. "My mother was er.....a fallen angel...or a blessed demon. I'll never know. Cause it would be an oxymoron if she was an Angel-youkai, ya know. Father was a human from Hokkaido. The people who lived in Angel Haven were of the same race as my mother."

            "Does that mean that you're a hanyou? And part *angel* too?"

            I nodded.

            ".........cool."

            I sweatdropped and facefaulted. She was truly the oddest girl I had ever met.

            "Sooo...." she drawled, "Where're your wings?"

            "I ain't tellin'."

            "You *do* have wings, right?"

            "Only sometimes."

            "Well....once you get your wings back, can you give me a flying lesson? I've always wanted to fly!!"

            "....we'll see."

            BIG glomp there.

            "Ow."

            "Gomen."

************************************************************************

            Me: Aw....isn't that cute? Kagome wants you to be her older brother!

            Mitsukai: *rubbing bruised ribs* You just love to torture me, don't you?

            Me: *nods* Let's check up on Neko-chan, Sesshy-kun, Rin-chan, and Tsuki-kun, shall we?

************************************************************************

            Kouga ran quickly through the forest, tracing Kagome's scent back to the 'kitty-sitter's' house. Sniffing the air, he realized that something was amiss. There was an odd scent in the air....

            Realization came abruptly in the form of a gigantic white cat demon, slashing ferociously at him. 

            "Damnit! Why do instincts always have to be right?!" he yelled as he dodged, landing his own attack on the beast's thick hide. You could imagine his shocked look when he realized that the cat creature hadn't even been scratched!

            _I think a retreat would be best right now....he fled through the trees, unwittingly heading toward the house. He soon spied the sturdy structure, and realized that it might be his only hope, what with the fact that Catzilla behind him had been gaining steadily for the past few seconds. _

            He sped through the open door, loping down the long halls of this huge mansion-like house, finally noticing a door that was scratched and clawed at, yet still stood, a warm glow emanating softly from the edges. 

            He pounded frantically on the door, not minding the burning sensation his hands were being dealt.

            "Open the goddamn door!" he ordered. Still knocking, he had fallen through the moment it opened, landing heavily on the wooden floor. He heard the door slam, and the yowls and snarls of the cat beast on the other side, with its frantic clawing and scratching. He slowly stood up, and then realized that he might have been better off with the ten-foot high cat behind the door. 

            "What do you think you were doing, pounding on the door like that?" asked a stoic faced Sesshoumaru. "This Sesshoumaru is not pleased that you almost awoke Rin."

            "Aw, come on Sesshy-sama, give the poor guy a break! He almost got chewed up by Tsuki-kun over there!" berated a small, *blue* cat-hanyou.

            "I think introductions would be in order..." suggested Kouga, looking around. Noticing the blood all around, and a two-armed Sesshoumaru, he added, "And I'm betting there's a story along with this too."

            "So.....where should we start?" asked the cat-hanyou.

            "The beginning is always a good place," said Sesshoumaru.

            "Odd....I think I've heard those words before...." mused Kouga.

            And he thought that things couldn't get worse. 

            The true terror has only just begun. *snicker giggle*

************************************************************************

            Okay! That chapter done! In the next one, Saturn (or her OC form) will make her debut, and we'll finally get around to some action! Yeah! Kill da Smurfs! Don't forget, review please!


	15. Argh! Another Filler?

            Hey all! I'm ba~ack! I *finally* managed to convince Brat to let me use her comp (she got kinda angry at us after a certain series of unfortunate events) so here I am again! Let's cut the chit-chat and head on in!

Disclaimer: I own Kai-chan, and Tsuki-chan. Utsushineko and Rose belong to their actual owners. I just kinda helped to put them in my fic. I also do not own Inu Yasha, Harry Potter, Smurfs, Ranma ½, or any other series that might occur in this fic.

RR!!

Sailor Saturn: Get ready to read, for this is the big chappy where the Smurfs are overthrown and you get to squish one!! *cheer* And thanks again for reminding me about that whole age mistake; I had meant to change it, but I musta forgot. And thanks Trunks, I'm glad that some people actually liked my flashback thingy!! ^_^* D.g. said it sucked....she's now currently...indisposed....for that little comment. *evil twisted grin*

Mitsukai: O_o Gods...what have you got planned for me NOW?! 

Me: You, my dear bro, get to baby-sit a hyperactive Kagome!! Have fun!!

Mitsukai: WHAT?!

AoiTsuki: Aw, oh well, I had to have four people in that room. Sorry. It had to go with the plot.....(Mitsukai: Plot?! What plot?!) ^_~ I'll make it up to you though....*hint hint* *cough*shirtlessFluffy*cough* 

esteebee: Actually, it's very easy to think about killing Kai-chan...

Mitsukai: -_-* Why, if I am courageous enough to even ask, do you want to kill me?

Me: ....you ate all the pocky....

Hamtaro Cutie: v_v Yes. The world is now a sad place. Oh well, at least I can still torture him. ^_^ That's always fun. And believe me, next time I do a fic in which author charas are involved, you're at the top of my list!

Anima Mouse: Do *I* look like I know what she's thinking?! Wait--don't answer that. Aw, I just thought it would be cute if Kai-chan played the overprotective bro. Ya know, confronting Inuyasha and stuff like all big bros do. It would be funny! Also, in fact, Kai-chan ain't NOTHING like Hobo! I would NEVER make any of my charas resemble that freak in the slightest! He's a cool guy, actually; I just didn't like the fact that he ate all my pocky......

Mitsukai: ¬_¬ Well, you shouldn't have left it out in the open......

Me: Well, YOU shouldn't have eaten it!! 

Mitsukai: *rolls eyes* Gods, I hadn't had breakfast! How could you expect me NOT to eat it?!

Me: -_o You shall pay, foolish mortal.

Mitsukai: *facefault* Hey! Who's the hanyou here?!  

Me: *evil grin* I could always make you fall into a certain hot springs and turn into a girl, if I so wished....

Mitsukai: O_O*!

SailorKagome: Guess what?! In the next chap, we'll be here to witness the downfall of the Smurfs!

SenshiofSilence: Let's see YOU try living with him, and tell me that he's not killable. 

Mitsukai: *smug grin* Ah, EVERYBODY loves meh! 

Fan Girl: *I* love you Kai-chan!! Marry me!!

Mitsukai: O_o!!!! NOT YOU AGAIN!! I THOUGHT I LOST YOU!!!!!!! *runs away*

Fan Girl: Kai-chan! Come back to me!! *dashes after*

Me: Okkaaaaaayyyyy....that was frightening and disturbing, not to say the least...

ssjinpan2: Yeah, he's pretty cool looking when he flies. I gotta draw a pic of him like that one of these days....

Charis13: Yep. Definitely an idiot. Cute, but an idiot nonetheless. Also, he does get really scary when exposed to new, cool-looking weapons....he's obsessed with the Cement Silly-String now...

And, as an added bonus, here is a funny poem for you peoples!! I don't own this either....

**I'm Making a List**

**By Shel Silverstein**

I'm making a list of the things I must say

for politeness,

And goodness and kindness and gentleness,

sweetness and rightness:

Hello

Pardon me

How are you?

Excuse me

Bless you

May I?

Thank you

Goodbye

If you know some I've forgot,

please stick them in your eye!

            Hehe....funny.

****

****

**Kitten Caboodle**

**Chapter 14: Argh! Another Filler?!**

            _Oh yeah! It's game time! Just us two verses the Smurfs, an all-out battle between us! Oh yeah! We are SO gonna kick some Smurf ass!! There's no way we can lose!! I have Cement Silly-String!!! _

            Mitsukai was currently deluding himself on this issue, believing that the Cement Silly-String could conquer all. 

            "Kai-chan? Please stop smiling like that. It's disturbing," Kagome whimpered, still distanced from the mentally unstable boy. 

            "^_^ The Cement Silly-String shall aid us to victory against the Smurf Empire!" he boasted, glancing lovingly at the little can of Cement Silly-String in his hand. "We shall defeat the tone-deaf clones!" (Anyone see the Star Wars parody there?)

            If anything, Kagome wasn't reassured by this statement, and in fact, had backed away several more feet. Nervously, she covertly scanned their surroundings, making sure she had a plan of escape in case he went crazy. The never-ending singing sound that they had been hearing was getting louder; they were nearing the center of the large, underground kingdom of the Smurf domain. Although Sesshoumaru ruled the aboveground Western Lands, it seemed that the Smurfs dominated all that was belowground, living in harmony with the other youkai that existed under the earth. 

            They had been walking for what seemed to be hours, or so Mitsukai thought. Every once in a while, he would complain about how large and long and dark and smelly the subterranean tunnels were. More often than not, his outbursts seemed to be followed by vicious attacks against the walls of the caves. Many times, Kagome had had to stop him from bringing the roof down around their heads. She was getting more and more perplexed by his aggressive and withdrawn behavior. Thankfully, he would snap out of it every few minutes and go on a tirade about how they would use the silly string she had given him against the Smurfs. And then, just when he seemed normal, he would run across a train of thought that made him sullen and violent again. It was all very confusing. She was slightly afraid of him during these moments, for he didn't seem to be himself. She had a sneaking suspicion as to what was the problem though.

          "Kai-chan?" she once again asked, daring to venture into conversation with the schitzo, "Why are you acting like this? You seem...different." Her brow was creased with worry. 

            He glanced distractedly at her, twiddling his thumbs. "Well, ya know how youkai usually take after their more mortal counterparts?" he queried.

            "What do you mean?"

            "I mean, if you compared, oh say, a cat demon to a regular cat, you would notice that their behavior is much the same. Right?" he explained. She nodded, getting the gist of what he was saying. "Well, me, being an Angel-hanyou, am used to fresh air and skies and open spaces, because I'm more at home in that sort of place. Under here, under the ground, it's...suffocating, to say the least. It'd be like making a bird live in an underground warren that belongs to rabbits; they just can't function well in a place that they have no connection or feeling to, and eventually die, unless they adapt. And sometimes, in desperate fits of insanity, the bird will try to escape the never-ending tunnels, striking at the walls and ceiling in hopes of getting back to the fresh air and skies it's used to. Ya see?" He stared straight ahead in a contemplative look. "In its insane state, the bird doesn't care whether it is killed by its nonsensical actions, the desperate urge to fly again drives it to the extremes. That's what it would be like for a full youkai like my mother was. For me, it's not AS bad, but still bad enough." Kagome stared at him in shock.

            "Wow...I never really thought about it like that. So THAT'S why Inuyasha gets so protective of me; it's because he's part dog-youkai. Fascinating, really," she mused, "So, that must mean that you can't stand being under here for long. You must have some form of claustrophobia. In that case, we should get out of here quickly, before you start hyperventilating or something," She grinned smugly at him, "Wouldn't want you playing the part of the insane-and-suicidal bird, now would we? You seemed perfectly fine at first, though...." She trailed off; he had acted normally enough during the first few hours of their venture into the tunnels. He must have changed so gradually that she hadn't even noticed it, until he started showing outward signs of it. This makes a whole lot more sense, now.

            "Hehe, I'm pretty good at keeping a hold on my instincts," he nervously laughed, the chuckle sounding forced, "After all, I had to pretend I was a human whenever I stayed in a village during my travels. If the villagers knew that I was one of the legendary angel-youkai, bounty hunters would have been after my head faster than you could say '2 thousand yen.'" 

            She gazed at him sympathetically, now noting that after a more intense inspection, his eyes were dilated and he was breathing faster than was normal; he even had a certain air of tenseness about it that she had overlooked earlier. "Don't worry bro, we'll be outta here in no time."

            "But I still have to get my pendant back," he whined softly, torn between the desperate longing to be back aboveground, and the last link to his past that was in the hands of the Smurfs. The Smurfs. Now *that* thought brought a heated anger to his eyes. He had his mind stubbornly set on one goal: Kill the Smurfs and take back the pendant. 

           Kagome noticed that his eyes had a distant angered look to them, and backed away a bit. But he soon calmed down, seemingly distracted by something he had heard, cocking his head to one side and listening intently to some unknown entity that was being heard over the constant singing of the Smurfs. 

            "There's somebody else down here...." he muttered, narrowing his eyes and trying to pinpoint where exactly the newer voices were coming from. "I can't find their location though!" he growled, pouting at the fact that his impeccable sense of hearing couldn't work due to the Smurfs. 

            They stood still for a second then, listening intently once again for the near-imagined voices. They seemed to be heading closer. And then one voice broke through the stillness of the caves.

            "PERVERT!!" 

            SMACK!!!!!

            The two exchanged wary glances, before realization hit Kagome. Her face lit up in delight as she eagerly bounded toward the voices.

            "Kai-chan! It's Sango! And most definitely Miroku! And Inuyasha and Shippo probably too!! Come on!! Let's catch up to them!!"

            He quickly bounded up next to her, easily matching her full-out run with his own loping jog. "Are they the friends you were telling me about?"

            "*pant* Yep!! *pant*"

            "And is that the fastest you can go?" He sniffed disdainfully, "Pathetic." He himself hadn't even had a hitch in his breath yet.

            "*pant gasp* SHUT IT!! *pant gasp pant*"

            He shrugged gloatingly, "Okey-dokey."

            She managed to spare him an angry glare, "*pant pant* Hey! I'm not a hanyou! I'm only a Junior Highschooler, so lay off! *pant gasp pant pant*"

            He just shrugged again, and they continued on their run to the source of the voices, who, hopefully, would indeed turn out to be Kagome's friends. She didn't seem to be in doubt though, and neither was he. He remembered what their habits were like from talking to Kagome. Mentally, he snickered. He could guess as to  where that slap had come from.....

************************************************************************

            Hehe...AoiTsuki...you're gonna like da next part I bet...^_~

************************************************************************

            The three sat in a contemplative circle, similar looks of intense concentration on their faces. The fourth occupant of the room just slept on against the wall, having obviously been very drained by the whole ordeal she had gone through that day, leaving her tired and exhausted.

            Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow at the comical look of deep thinking that had contorted Neko's elfin face, almost breaking through his replaced stoic mask. He allowed himself a small smile, stealing glances at her every once in a while. Also silently observing Kouga, he had noticed a change in the wolf's demeanor and attitude. He seemed more carefree, less obsessive than he usually was. Inwardly, he questioned the transformation. Finally, Sesshoumaru came to study his newly replaced arm, minutely flexing the muscles happily. For once, he didn't question what had happened; he was just grateful that it DID happen. Having only one arm was quite a hindrance, and normally it would have taken several hundreds of years to grow it back on its own. 

            His musings were interrupted by the outburst of 'AHA!! I GOT IT!!' from Neko. He nearly jumped up, startled. "Got what?!"

            "I have a plan!!" she crowed, dancing about happily.

            Sesshoumaru and Kouga both exchanged worried looks. Plans made by crazed hanyou onnas were not something to be anticipated, but feared. 

            She quickly turned on her heel to grin at them, hands on her hips, speaking in a sing-song voice. "Here's what we do. You two will distract Tsuki-kun, and I'll take Rin and hightail it outta here. Got it? We'll head back to the Smurf stronghold, where Inuyasha and the others are most likely to be, and hopefully, we'll be able to kill two birds with one stone. Tsuki-kun will most likely destroy the Smurfs, and we'll be stronger once reunited. Sounds like a good plan, ne?"

            "Uh...." Sesshoumaru stuttered uncharacteristically, momentarily at a loss for words. In truth, he was feeling nothing short of sheer terror at the thought of what they would have to do to distract the catbeast. One look at Kouga's face proved that that thought was shared. 

            "Er, Neko-chan, we don't think that that is such a good idea," Kouga spoke, braving the wrath of the hanyou before them. How two, full-grown, male youkai could be cowed by one female hanyou, a cat no less, is still a mystery to me. I find it funny though. 

            Neko-chan glared at Kouga, her foot tapping dangerously. "Oh really?" she drawled. "So, what plan did YOU come up with, smartass?" 

            "I-uh-um-er-" he stuttered, before falling silent, his mouth moving but no words forming. He looked incredibly much like a fish, just then.

            "I thought so," she grinned smugly. "Neither of you have one, do you?"

            "Well, uh.......no," admitted Sesshoumaru, shamefully looking down. 

            "So, by rights, that means that we agree with my plan, RIGHT?" she prodded, her eyes glittering dangerously. The both nodded with false enthusiasm, all the while sharing looks of a pair of deer caught in the headlights of a car. They were trapped. There was no escape. But darn it, they weren't going down without a fight!! Wait a minute---they just did...wusses. Are they men or mice?!

            "We'll do whatever you want us to do, Miss Neko!" Kouga said.

            Mice. Definitely, most absolutely, mice.....

            "Okay, here's what I want you to do! You run out there, get Tsuki-kun to chase you, and then when the coast is clear me and Rin'll make a run for it. Okay?"

            Is it just me, or is she kinda assigning the most painful and difficult job to the guys?

            *several minutes later*

            Sesshoumaru and Kouga were simultaneously screaming their heads off while being chased by an enraged and transformed Tsuki, heading frantically back toward the safety of the little room with the enchanted door. Neko was already there, bearing a few scratches but none the worse for wear. She had already made her dash back to the room, carrying a still sleeping Rin in tow, waiting for the guys to head back too. She swiftly opened the door as they came tearing down the hall, racing into the room, followed closely by the catbeast. She slammed the door in the cat's face, making sure the sword's seal was still holding. Their lives depended on it. 

            "So...I guess my plan didn't really work that well?" she sheepishly noted, backing away from the glares sent her way by the two young youkai.

            "That would be the understatement of the year," muttered Sesshoumaru, finding with undisguised disapproval that his and Kouga's shirts had been torn off by Tsuki during their little venture into the world outside. He could hear the ripping and tearing sound outside, and dully noted that Tsuki was probably doing that on purpose, the sadistic little freak. He glowered disgustedly at the door, his eyes mentally penetrating through the door and sinking daggers into the smug cat outside. 

            Kouga wasn't as fazed by the loss of his clothing, most of it had consisted of heavy armor anyway. He just stretched and sat down in a meditative position, deciding that ignoring everything that had happened to him today was the best way to save his sanity right now.

            Sesshoumaru also glared at Neko, his angry stare indicating without words what he had thought about her plan. Her lower lip trembled, the puppy eyes came out, but he just turned his back and stalked away, temporarily immune to that look. She decided to add in the sad, pathetic whimper and sniffle for effect, noticing that he had twitched ever so slightly. To top the ploy off, she sniffled a little more, whined and whimpered a little more, and let her tail drag lifelessly on the ground, slowly heading with sad and heavy steps to the opposite side of the room, slumping against the wall and drawing her knees up to her chest, burying her face into her hands and sighing forlornly. 

            Sesshoumaru glanced guiltily up, seeing that Neko wasn't her usual happy self. Her ears were drooped and she was unusually quiet. He got up and padded over to where she sat, sliding down beside her. She ignored him, turning slightly away from his presence. A look of worry and guilt came upon his face.

            "I'm sorry if I said or did anything to upset you, Neko-chan," he murmured, not yet daring to try and comfort her any more than that. "I didn't mean to...."

            She looked up sadly at him, her eyes watery, "It's not that...it's just...my planwasn'tverygood,andcomparedtoyouguysI'mnotverystrong,andwell,IjustwantedtogetoutofhereandIwantedtheplantoworkbutitdidn'tandnowyoubothhateme'causeIputyouintoalotta dangerandyou'llneverforgivemeandI'llbealienatedbyyoutwofortherestofourtimespenttogetherand-and-" She buried her face into her hands again, unable to continue.

            "Neko-chan, I could never hate you! It wasn't your fault!" exclaimed Sesshoumaru, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. "Don't beat yourself up over it!"

            She looked up at him once again, her eyes full of hope, "Really?" He nodded. "Thank you, Sesshou-kun!" She happily snuggled into his chest, grinning slightly to herself. Wrapped around her finger, that he was. Guys are SO easy to manipulate.....

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            Okay! That's the next chapter! Yes, it's short, but I'll post another chap tomorrow, so this is like one chap split into two, okay? I promise that tomorrow's chap will be even longer than this one, but this one can't be longer 'cause it's 1:14 in the morning and I am dead tired!! I just wanted to get something out tonight! Hope you all liked it! It was more of a filler, though. Anyway, read and review please! 


	16. Don't Pick Up Pendants With Bad Vibes!

            I *hate* school busses....we're being forced to sit three and four to a seat...Do you have ANY idea of how uncomfortable it is to be crushed against a high school GUY?! @_o* THAT was my expression for a full twenty minutes! Anyway, on with the second chap of this two-part ...thing....chap...Whatever.

Disclaimer: *insert witty yet lame submission to not owning Inuyasha, then follow up with a rude gesture towards lawyers*

RR!! 

Sailor Saturn: Heehee! Finally! I finally am awake enough to kill off the Smurfs!! YES!! In the next chapter, their downfall shall come! W007! And you're welcome Trunks; I have a muse myself, and he likes to be thanked personally too. 

Mitsukai: *nod* ^_^''''' Except....by fan girls...they scare me...

Random, Unknown, Fan Girl: I LOVE YOU KAI-CHAN!! PLEASE MARRY ME THIS TIME!!

Mitsukai: O_o Uh! Gottagobyebye!! *runs away yet again*

RUFG: KAI-CHAN!! WE'LL BE SO HAPPY TOGETHER!! COME BACK!! *runs after*

Me: --' I really need to find a way to get rid of that girl...she's starting to stalk him...

Augery: *stars in eyes* Wow!! You actually like it?! That's amazing!!  *falls over in shock* Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!! But, obviously, somehow, my writing seems to....degrade...so to speak. I swear!! This fic DID have a plot at one point, but now...^^;;; Anyway, I'll send the pics to you once my net connection's back up. It's right now down, so I'm uploading this chap on the library's comp. v_v Comp troubles are baaaaaadddddd......

AoiTsuki: *facefault* Next time, lay off the sugar before you review.....

For some reason, ff.net is withholding my reviews, so these were the only ones I got in my e-mail when the net connection was still up. And just in case some of you were wondering (a couple people asked me this) the reason that Sesshoumaru is acting so weird is because, as previously stated before, Neko-chan cast a Cheering Charm on him, soooooooo...*sweatdrop* That's the reason for him actually having emotions like guilt and shame......I know, it's very weird, but you're gonna have to deal with it. I am. 

**Kitten Caboodle**

**Chapter 15: Don't Pick Up Pendants With Bad Vibes! **

            The two young teens raced down the hallway, headed toward the familiar voices. 

            "Inuyasha!! Sango!! Miroku! Shippo!! Where are you?!" she called over the sound of her pattering feet, glancing left and right down separate corridors in hopes of hearing the answering call of her friends. Almost immediately, her call was answered.

            "Kagome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" came the shout, as a red-clad figure fairly flew down the same hallway, wrapping his arms around her and swinging her around happily. "Oh Kagome! You're okay! I was so worried!! Thank Kami!" he cried, sweeping her up bridal style and kissing her full upon the lips.

            "Go Inuyasha! You da man!" congratulated Miroku (once again), upsetting the two love birds' special moment (once again...).

            "I swear monk, I broke several of your ribs last time," growled Inuyasha, "and this time you won't be so lucky!"

            "Now, now, no more fighting, we are finally back together!" interjected Sango, standing protectively in front of the nervously smiling Miroku. Very, very, very bad move.

            SLAP!! 

            "PERVERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            Guess what happened.......-_-*

            "Hey Kagome? Who's he?" asked Shippo, pointing to the blonde-haired teen that was hanging back from the crowd of friends. Suddenly, all the attention was on Mitsukai, who blushed as he saw the companions stare intently at him. He waved a weak hello, grinning nervously.

            "Hiya! Name's Mitsukai Tsubasa! Nice ta meetcha!" he introduced, smiling.

            "Oh! I forgot to tell you guys! This is my new adopted brother I met down here!" exclaimed Kagome, slapping her forehead in a self-admonishing way, "He got captured by the Smurfs too! By the way, how did you get here?!" 

            Everyone had to take a minute to let this new information be absorbed. Then all hell broke loose.

            "HE'S YOUR BROTHER?!" they all shouted at once.

            "What the hell?!" growled Inuyasha.

            "Well, this is an interesting development," stated Miroku, crossing his arms sagely.

            "Kagome! How did you get such a hot guy to agree to be your BROTHER?!" exclaimed Sango, not noticing as the others all facefaulted. Mitsukai just blushed and backed up worriedly, effectively putting himself out of range of 'fan girl glomps.' Just in case.

            "He smells funny," declared Shippo from atop Mitsukai's shoulder, sniffing curiously at him. "He smells sorta like a demon, but then again, not really..."

            And all hell broke loose once again.

            "A DEMON?!" snarled Inuyasha, putting himself in front of Kagome and drawing the Tetsusaiga in warning. Miroku, Sango, and Kirara all grouped around Kagome too, drawing their weapons and getting into fighting stances. Shippo and Mitsukai just gazed confusedly at the tense teens. 

            "Shippo! Get away from him! He's a demon!" warned Sango, holding up Hiraikotsu.

            "Guys, wait-" Kagome tried to explain, but was interrupted by Inuyasha.

            "And what did you plan to achieve by tricking Kagome into trusting you?!" he growled, eyes flashing, "You work for Naraku, don't you?! That's why you're down here with these Smurfs! You're in league with them!"

            "Inuyasha, please-" Kagome once again tried to explain.

            "Kagome, stand back! He might attack you!" cautioned Miroku, trying to stop his friend from getting closer to the even more confused Mitsukai. 

            With a stubborn set of her jaw and angry eyes, Kagome shouldered her way past her guards, standing protectively in front of Mitsukai.

            "GUYS!! Just listen to me for one minute! I already knew that Mitsukai was a hanyou! I know the reason why he's down here, and I know that I can trust him! Stop overreacting all of the time!!" she shouted, her fists clenched. Her friends all backed up a step, momentarily shocked out of their wary stances. 

            Mitsukai's face at the moment → Oo;;

            "Please guys! Put down your weapons! He isn't a threat! Trust me!"

            Slowly, the group relaxed, letting down their guard.

            "I trust your good judgment, Lady Kagome," declared Miroku, taking his hand away from the prayer beads tied around his hand.

            "As do I, Kagome-chan," reassured Sango, picking up Kirara and petting her, now looking curiously at the obviously frightened Mitsukai.

            "Kagome......your friends are SCARY!!" stated Mitsukai, gazing warily at the sheepish-looking teens.

            "I ask your forgiveness," Miroku apologized, "We overreacted."

            Mitsukai just waved his hand dismissively, "No prob, dude. I get threats like that every day! It's nothing new to me." He grinned cheekily. 

            Inuyasha just glared at the newcomer, still suspecting evil intent from the smiling, angelic blond boy. He, too, had noticed the strange scent of the boy, but had regarded it as some odd human thing. Now, on closer inspection, it did resemble a demon's, but.....it was more...pure...very odd.

            "Well? What are we all standing around for? We have Smurfs to demolish!" Mitsukai trotted down one of the many adjacent corridors, looking once over his shoulder, "WELL? Are ya comin' or not? I have something I hafta get back from those freaks, and you do too, no doubt, one of those Shikon shard thingies I think. Judging from the intensity of the singing, I would say that the center of their underground caverns is this way! So let's hurry on!" Amazingly, he said that all in one breath. And even more amazing still, they understood every word of it. With a startled jolt, they quickly followed after his loping stride. Shippo rode on his shoulder though, having found a nice sitting place on the soft fabric of his shirt. It was like silk, only nearly impossible to tear. 

            After experimentally tugging on a part of the shirt to see if it would rip, Shippo soon diverted his attention to the person he was riding on. "Uncle Kai-chan?"

            Shippo was almost thrown off Mitsukai's shoulder from his abrupt stop. Everybody halted too, hearing what Shippo had just called him.

            "Kid!! Where did ya get the idea that I'm your uncle?! And how is it that EVERYBODY so far has found that nickname to suit me?!" Mitsukai wailed, half-heartedly glaring at the young kit.

            "Well....since you're Kagome's brother, and Kagome is like my mom, then that makes you my uncle, right?"

            "But I'm too young to be an uncle!! It makes me sound like some old dude who is thirty and still lives in his mom's house eating junk food and being lazy!"

            "I knew a kid who was an uncle, and he was even younger than you!" 

            "So?!"

            "So, than you're my uncle!! Deal with it!!" 

            " ¬_¬*"

            "Now, back to my question! What is it that you're looking for?"

            "A pendant."

            "That's it?!"

            Mitsukai gave the young kit a good, long glare. "Yeah. That's it."

            "B-but....BOYS DON'T WEAR PENDANTS!!" Shippo's small knowledge of the world, what he had managed to grasp thus far, was quickly disintegrating before his eyes, the beliefs he had believed in were fading away like dust in the wind.

            "I do. And so do many others."

            "But.....it's GIRLY."

            "So? A very special girl gave it to me. That's why I wear it."

            For Shippo, the world quickly came back into focus.

            "OH!! In that case, it's all right!"

            "Any other questions you'd like to confront me with?" 

            "Yep."

            "Good. Then I'll answer them later. And for now.....just PLEASE don't call me that!!"

            "What? Call you Uncle Kai-chan?"

            Mitsukai nodded eagerly, finally managing to get through the kit's head that that word was very, very, very bad for his image.

            Sadly, the kit already knew this, and being the devious little fox demon he was, decided to use it against him, "Okay KAI-CHAN."

            "I thought I told you not to call me that!!" winced Mitsukai.

            Unbeknownst to the bickering duo, the other members of their group were busy snickering behind their hands at the odd exchange. 

            A sudden loud, ominous silence filled the air.

            "Wait a minute," Inuyasha murmured, "It's quiet. Too quiet."

            "You're right," seconded Miroku, and adding his two cents in said, "The Smurfs are planning something, most likely."

            "What should we do?" asked Sango.

            "For now, it would be wisest to get back aboveground. If we try to go any further, we might get attacked by more than we can handle. We're on the Smurfs' territory now. They have the advantage."

            Everyone nodded their agreement, except Mitsukai, who nervously glanced down the corridor they were traveling. They were near the center of the den; he could feel it. So close, yet so far. His glowing, sapphire eyes dulled for a moment, falling into a deep cobalt color. What was he to do? Acting purely on impulse, he made up his mind.

            "You guys go ahead and get out of here. I'll search further, avoid confrontation, and scout out the best way to attack them." _And get my pendant back, he added silently._

            "But Kai-chan-" Kagome pleaded.

            "Uh-uh Kagome. Don't worry, I'll be okay. I'll meet you aboveground in about two hours, okay? I can smell some fresh air currents around here; there's an exit. Go out that way."

            The group just stared at him apprehensively, not really liking the idea of leaving the boy to fend for his own down here.

            "Just. Go." He ordered, giving them all a hard glare. They nodded, heading towards the source of the fresh air. All except Kagome.

            "Please Kai-chan! Reconsider this! We could do a reconnaissance later! Just please! Come with us," she begged, eyes pleading.

            He shook his head resolutely, then gave her a grin full of confidence. "You know me! Nothing can kill me! Now, go on and get out of here! And remember Asiva's warning. Four people are in great danger; four that you know."

            "But-"

            "And," he continued, ignoring her pleads, "if worse comes to worse, I want you to do me a favor and keep yourself alive. Kapeesh?" 

            She reluctantly nodded.

            "Good. Now go on, get outta here! I'll see ya in a little while, and that's a promise," he grinned again, before turning his back on her and heading on down the corridor without looking back.

            "It's a promise then," she mimicked, repeating his words. Turning on her heel, she followed after the rest of her friends, resolutely promising herself to follow meet him again. Dead or alive.

************************************************************************ 

            Ooh....drama. *pops a kernel of popcorn into her mouth* I wonder what'll happen? *grins evilly* Soon enough, we'll see the turning point of where I had originally thought about killing him off. That's all the foreshadowing I'm doing now. But, happy me, I have a third person added to my small 'kill off Kai-chan' club. That's right, Kai-chan! Never mess with an authoress's pocky! 

Kai-chan: O_o Uh...sorry?

************************************************************************

            Utsushineko was silently congratulating herself on a Cheering Charm well done. She had managed to bring out emotions in the stoic being known as Sesshoumaru. She smugly gave herself a mental pat on the back. Still snuggled up in the tight embrace of the silver-haired bishie next to her, she studied her other companions. Rin was still sleeping, not even waking up when being chased by a giant cat! And Kouga...well....he was still in his meditative position. It seemed that the events of today were too much for his fragile psyche to handle. 

            Speaking of which, what were they supposed to do? Although she could easily summon food and drink using another nifty little spell she had learned, there was still the fact that they had to get out of here SOMETIME. Another matter of urgency had occurred to her. What if someone had to go to the bathroom?! She sighed softly. This was quite a predicament they were in, that it was. 

            Distantly, she could hear Tsuki-chan pacing around outside, and briefly wondered as to the true origins of the beast that had trapped them here. Kagome said that she had gotten him in her time, but then how could this be possible? And they weren't even sure whose side Tsuki was on. He seemed to be looking for someone, his Mistress. Was that someone Kagome? Or was it somebody else? And if so, why did he insist on attacking them? Things were just getting too confusing around here. She should NEVER have agreed on taking care of the kitten.

            But....it was too late now. She would just have to deal with things as they came. She felt the softly snoring Sesshoumaru shift slightly in his sleep, and grinned. One good thing about this was that she could have him to herself for a longer time. No doubt, once they managed to get out of here, he would leave and disappear from her life forever.....Her grip on him tightened. What if she could convince him to stay? What COULD she say or do that would make him WANT to stay? None of her actions so far had encouraged him to. 

            _I think I'll leave that matter till later.....just enjoy what I have while it's still here._

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            ^_~ Look! I have a theme to the story! Sorta.....Enjoy what you have peoples, live the moment, revel in being alive, don't worry about future stuff when you have something good going for you at the moment! Have fun! Be happy! Forget about doing your homework! Snuggle up with your boyfriend/girlfriends instead!

Mitsukai: *facefault* Wait a minute! You're going overboard there Erica! 

Me: Whoops...hehe...^^;;

************************************************************************

            Mitsukai strode down one of the infinite stone halls, using his innate sense of direction to lead him to where he needed to be. A change in the stale air currents was the only thing that alerted him to the presence of the huge cavern that he sought. He stepped through the entrance, staring in wide-eyed wonder at the mounds of gold and riches all around him. The Smurfs were nowhere to be seen, oddly enough. His sharp eyes picked through the treasures, only searching for one thing.

            "Yes!" he cheered, spying his precious crystal pendant lying on the floor. He rushed over, and held out a hand to pick it up, not noticing the odd vibes that came from the innocently glittering necklace. He grinned as he threw it around his neck. He had just turned to exit when all his movement seemed to be frozen in place. He mentally struggled against the invisible force that had chained his body, to no avail. His eyes widened in horror as he saw his hand move up on its own accord, felt his face twist undirected in a malicious grin.

            He couldn't control his own body...... 

************************************************************************ 

            Kagome and the others had just found their way out of the dens of the Smurfs, when she was suddenly struck with a bad premonition. A very bad premonition. 

            "Guys! Something's wrong! I can feel it!" she warned, her hands wringing. The other immediately went into their offensive stances, preparing themselves for an attack from any which way.

            The soft shuffle of feet alerted them to the other presence, as they turned as one to the approaching figure. From this far away, it resembled a white and black blob, but as it came closer, they could see its general outline. But that was enough.

            "It's Kai-chan...." mumbled a confused Kagome. It was him, she was sure of it, as he walked toward them with a slow and definite pace. But something seemed off....

            A gasp tore through her throat as she saw something both beautiful and frightening about him at the same time. A shocked intake of breath signaled that the others had noticed it too.

            The golden-headed boy approached them, head bent slightly as to cover his eyes with his long bangs. From his white-clad back sprang two gigantic wings, each as different from the other as light and dark. On his right side was a silvery, feathered wing, seeming delicate yet strong in its beauty. On the other side, a dark black bat wing rose, tipped with claws, blunt and sinister looking. 

           "Kai-chan?" Shippo called out in a wavering voice, but the boy did not respond until he was ten feet away from them. This close, they were even more mesmerized by his appearance. 

            "Kai-chan? What's wrong? Answer me!" demanded a slightly panicked Kagome. Finally, he looked up, and she stepped back in fright. His right eye was still the same, blazing blue it had always been, but the left one was blood red, shining darkly. A malicious smirk covered his face.

            "What's wrong Kagome-chan? Does my appearance frighten you?" he mocked, the evil grin widening. "Why, I thought that you wanted to see me with my wings."

            She just backed even farther as Inuyasha quickly stood guard in front of her. Something had changed with the boy, and Inuyasha intently studied his opponent's face. There was something about that blue eye of his....it seemed...frightened? Worried? Despaired? Panicked? Something was definitely wrong here.

            "What happened to you, Mitsukai?" he queried.

            The boy let out a low, vicious laugh, all the while drawing his newest sword from its sheath. "Why, nothing happened to me! Lord Naraku just gave me orders to kill you, that's all." He smiled, an evil, sinister smile.

            "Prepare to die, Inuyasha."

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            Evil Kai-chan!! Okay peoples, ya gotta review if ya want me to update! If I get five reviews in less than two days, I'll update by Friday, okay? Well, get cracking then! Next chap will have the face-off with Kai-chan, the appearance of a new character, and the demolishing of Smurfs! YAY!!


	17. A Battle to the Death and the Downfall o...

            Mitsukai: *falls off the couch in shock* She made me evil?! She made me evil!! WHY?!

            Me: ^^;; It was...necessary?

            Mitsukai: -_-! Necessary?! 

            Me: O_o;; Now, now, Kai-chan....no need to start looking at me like that....

            Mitsukai: *evil aura* You want to make me evil, do you?! I'LL SHOW YOU EVIL! 

            Me: OO; Uh...Kai-chan?

            Mitsukai: *growls* I already paid you back for the pocky! What more do you want?! 

            Me: ^_^ I want a pony and a thousand million billion dollars and the rights to all anime and manga and a black Volkswagen Beetle nicknamed Deathscythe Herby with flames on the sides and flame-patterned front seats and one skull on each of the backseats' headrests and anti-lawyer protection and a motorcycle and the schools destroyed and lots and lots of pocky and candy and sugar and yummy food and-

            Mitsukai: *slaps a hand over her mouth* Shuddup! 

            Me: ^-^ Well...you DID ask what I wanted....

            Mitsukai: *falls back into nice, non-evil aura Kai-chan* And I fell right into THAT trap....*rolls eyes and goes back to sleeping on the couch* 

            Me: *sighs in relief* Oh yeah, and just to see how many of you read my author notes, I have something to ask of you: In your review, say the words 'I want my own anime bishie'! Then I'll know. Kukukukukukukukukukuku......

            Mitsukai: Oh God...that is SO lame.....

            Unknown Fan Otaku (UFO): I LOVE YOU KAI-CHAN!!

            Mitsukai: *jumps off the couch in shock again* WHAT THE FREAK?! GHA!! GET AWAY FROM ME!! NO GLOMP!! NO GLOMP!!

            Me: *cackles as Mitsukai is chased by the UFO* Funny. On to the story then.

RR!

Anima Mouse: Kukuku...my first plot twist! Yay! Hey...could I borrow that mallet?? And you're right, he *does* look pretty cool.....

Katherine/Megan Jones: Yep. Evil big bro. I wonder how this will end? *evil grin* Hey. It runs in the family.

ssjinpan2: Actually, I came up with Kai-chan waaaaayyyy before I ever saw Yu-Gi-Oh! I've had him in my original stories since I was seven....^_~ You can imagine how surprised I was to see that one card! I swear, I jumped up and ran around yelling about how the Yu-Gi-Oh! people stole my idea! ^_^

Sailor Saturn: Guess who comes in this chap???

Hamtaro Cutie: You are so right. *sigh* Oh well...I might just still kill him off for the fun of it....

Melfina: OO;; Meep! Writing! Writing! Oh yeah, and to e-mail you, I'd need your e-mail address.....

AoiTsuki: Aren't ya proud of me? I got two chaps out in less than a week! I'm on a roll!

LittleBlueBlob (I ain't gonna do all that capital junk!): *whispers happily* Yes! Another person on my side! Go me! 

Disclaimer: I *car alarm goes off* own Inuyasha, and I do own Tsuki-kun and Kai-chan. Utsushineko and Rose belong to their creators, AoiTsuki and Sailor Saturn, respectively. I also do *large explosion from somewhere near the kitchen (D.g. most likely)* own any and all anime crossovers or references made in this fic.

**Kitten Caboodle**

**Chapter 16: A ****Battle**** to the Death and the Downfall of the Smurfs! **

**(Let Me Hear a Cheer!)**

            _It...couldn't be. Kai-chan couldn't have just turned evil like that. There must be some reason as to why....! _

            Kagome looked on helplessly as she heard those evil words come from the mouth of the boy she regarded as her brother. He couldn't have been evil the whole time. He just couldn't.......There was no way he could have been tricking her, he saved her life! Doesn't that count for something?! Then why does everyone seem to think that he is totally evil...?

            "Aw, Inuyasha, are you not going to even draw your sword?" taunted Mitsukai, laughing mercilessly, "I don't find much amusement in victims that won't even fight back! Oh well, I'll kill you fast, and then get rid of your little friends. Maybe *they'll* put up a fight!" 

            Inuyasha growled angrily, reluctant to go into battle. He had no choice but to retaliate, however, as the winged boy suddenly sprang toward him with amazing speed, lashing out with his huge weapon. Inuyasha just barely dodged, feeling the cool metal graze against his right cheek, slicing off a few strands of his hair in its path. They came to a stand twenty feet from each other, in a face off, with the worried companions standing off to the side.

            "Mitsukai! I'll be forced to hurt you if you keep this up! I would've killed you by now, if not for Kagome's attachment to you! I'll give you a chance to walk out of here alive and in one piece," Inuyasha warned, shifting slightly so as to find a better attack position. 

            Mitsukai just grinned venomously, flexing his dark and light wings, and raised his eyebrow, "Really, Inuyasha? You think that you can beat me that easily?" He brandished his weapon tauntingly, "Bring. It. On."

            With a roar, Inuyasha lunged at the teen, attacking with such ferocity that Mitsukai was hard-pressed to dodge in time. He didn't move fast enough though, surprised as he was. The tip of Tetsusaiga managed to cut through the top of his demon wing, causing him to hiss in pain and fury. "You'll pay for that one a thousand-fold, mutt!"

            "Bring it on," Inuyasha mimicked. 

            "You are *so* going to pay!" Mitsukai hissed again.

            "Oh yeah?"

            "Yeah!"

            "You and what army?" Inuyasha taunted, much in the same way as Mitsukai.

            "Me and THIS army!" yelled Mitsukai as he attacked swiftly, plunging the long sword deep into Inuyasha's left arm. Inuyasha growled, and took the opportunity to strike a heavy blow to his opponent's chest. 

            They jumped apart again, coming to a standstill once more, sizing the other up. Mitsukai's wing was still bleeding, and he seemed to be wheezing slightly as he rubbed his chest irately. Inuyasha had grabbed his arm, checking to make sure it wasn't severely damaged. Thankfully, it was only a superficial wound.

            "I have to admit, that was a strong blow, mutt," muttered Mitsukai.

            Inuyasha grunted, "And that attack wasn't so bad either, Daemon."

            Mitsukai looked almost like his old self for a minute, puzzled, "Daemon?"

            "Yeah. It fits. You sure as hell ain't an angel anymore." 

            Mitsukai just glared, "Well, when I'm through with you, you won't resemble anything even remotely human!"

            "Oh, would you rather I call you Kai-chan?" Inuyasha smirked.

            "That's it, you are so dead, mutt!" 

            And once again, the two jumped at each other, each aiming similar attacks.

            "Kaze no kizu!"

            "Jigoku no hi!"

            From Inuyasha came the blinding yellow light of the Wind Scar, and from Mitsukai came the dark fiery flames of the 'Fires of Hell.'

            The two attacks met simultaneously, and the force of their meeting created a large explosion, flinging both fighters backwards a couple of feet. The comrades on the side watched helplessly as the two proceeded to kill each other.

            "We have to do something," Sango ground out in frustration as Mitsukai once again went on the attack, forcing Inuyasha to dodge to the left and throw out his sword to deflect the blow aimed at his head.

            "There is nothing we can do," sighed Miroku, also wishing that he could help in some way.

            "Kagome! Kagome!" Shippo cried, tugging on the hem of Kagome's skirt, "What's wrong with Uncle Kai-chan?! Why is he acting like this?!" His eyes tearing up, he let out a sniffle, watching morosely as Mitsukai gained the upper hand in the fight for the time being.

            Kagome could not seem to respond at all, her throat constricted at the horror of finding that her own adopted brother, the golden-haired, kind-hearted person who never would do this, had transformed into this...this...this creature before her. This two-sided demon of light, per se, this evil being who seemed to be consumed with hatred. Even his aura had changed from the light, dancing colors of various blues and golds and whites, into dark black, with strands of electric red and purple shooting through its dark depths. 

            He wasn't an angel anymore.....only a demon. Inuyasha was right; he truly was evil. The purity gone, vanished, taken over. It was almost too much to bear. She stared hopelessly at him, believing that he truly was gone, when suddenly a small patch of white broke through the darkness, only to be engulfed again. But it was there, covered up, being oppressed, but still there. She stared for a full minute, willing hopefully for her eyes not to be deceiving her. There! There it was again! Her eyes took on the determined glint of one who would do whatever it took to complete the task assigned. Her mission: Bring back Mitsukai to his old self. 

            Seeing that the two fighters had taken sides of the field again, she dashed forward, stepping in between them, throwing her arms out protectively. Standing in front of a shocked and wounded Inuyasha, she stared resolutely at Mitsukai, who seemed to be amused at this little display of defiance. She could see his lips twitching in barely suppressed malicious glee. Check that, he wasn't bothering to hide it anymore as he smirked venomously at her and Inuyasha. Kagome steeled slightly after seeing that smirk, and met with his eyes with equal intensity, forgetting that he could kill her relatively easily. 

            "Is there something you wanted, wench?" he asked, sneering with mock politeness, something the real Mitsukai would never do, "Women are not needed in this fight. Go back and watch from the sidelines." 

            She didn't hear a word he said, knowing that they weren't really his.  

            "Mitsukai! Please! Listen to me!" she shouted, "I know the real you is in there, being controlled! Fight it, Kai-chan! You must fight it! For me, and for your sister, and for you!" She desperately hoped that her plea had made it to him, to Kai-chan. Her companions were standing there in surprised, not knowing how to deal with this situation. Shippo didn't really know what Kagome was doing, but prayed that it would work anyway.

            At her plea, both of his eyes widened in shock, the blue eye showing recognition and determination, the red one showing anger and hate. "How dare you speak to me in such a way! For that, you will most surely die!" He snarled, lunging at her.

            "Kagome!" shouted her comrades. Inuyasha dashed forward to deflect the attack aimed at her, successfully managing to knock Mitsukai through the ground. The boy lay there, stunned, at having been hit so severely. His whole chest was riddled with cuts, and his left arm seemed to be broken. But still, his crimson eye showed no pain, only fury. The sapphire other, despair.  

            "Kagome, what are you doing? He can't be reasoned with! I'm sorry, but I *have* to kill him! There's no other alternative!" explained Inuyasha, readying to attack.

            "Inuyasha! Matte! Wait!" she cried, but too late.

            "KAZE NO KIZU!!!!!!!!" he roared, attacking at the fallen boy.

            Mitsukai looked up from his hole in the ground, just in time to stare straight into the roaring flame that came raging at him. He flinched back, knowing that he couldn't escape, when suddenly a shining arrow came through the Wind Scar, heading toward his chest. It struck the dark pendant that hung there, before giving off a bright blast that left everybody blinking their eyes furiously to dispel the temporary blindness. In that one second of time, the Wind Scar also hit.

            And when the dust cleared......there was no sign of the boy but a small, many colored crystal attached to a golden chain lying on the ground.....

************************************************************************

            Mitsukai: *wails* She killed me!! She killed me! NUUUUUUUU!! 

            Me: ^_~ *mutters* Finally!

            Mitsukai: But I'm too cute and sexy to die!! NUUUUUUU!!

            Me: *facefault*

************************************************************************

            Sesshoumaru blinked his eyes to clear away the sleep, waking back to the land of the living. He saw Neko-chan curled up to his side, and briefly thought about pushing her off. Nah. He'd save that mean of a joke for later. Rin was *still* asleep on his other side. Go figure. It seems that all of her hyperness had just....disappeared.......YES!!! Hell *has* frozen over people! Kouga was across the room, staring at him with one eye, still in a meditative pose.

            "So," started Sesshoumaru, "Thought of any plans yet?"

            "I think that we should just wait for Kagome and the others to come back," stated Kouga, "They shouldn't be gone too long. Kagome will be wanting her kitten back." He snorted, chuckling slightly.

            "For now, let's just recuperate our strength. That cat's gonna tire itself out at some time or another. Patience would be best now." 

            Sesshoumaru nodded, falling back into sleep, Kouga soon following him.

            Oh, the horrors that lay in store for them.....

************************************************************************

            Mitsukai: *still crying about how he's dead*

            Me: Shuddup already! Anyways, I'm kinda at a standstill for those trapped four, but in the next chapter, something REALLY big will happen! So be happy!

            Mitsukai: You made me evil, and then you killed me! T_T You're...you're...you're not very nice, are you?! On first impression, you seem to convince everybody that you're a polite, sensitive, smart and kind girl, and then, once you've gained their trust, you turn EVIL!! EVIL I SAY!! 

            Me: And your point is????? Also, guess who makes their cameo? I'm taking liberties with this idea, so Saturn, you shall have short hair, because I'm following the character from your fic. ^_~ Her true identity is yet to be revealed though....Don't you just LOVE creative licenses? She has a different background, to make it fit with the fic. Don't worry, you'll understand sooner or later. 

************************************************************************

            The four (five, if you count Kirara) congregated around the deep hole, slashed with claw marks and even a space where the ground seemed to had fallen out into one of the Smurf caverns, staring forlornly at the broken piece of chain on the ground. Kagome slowly walked toward it, head bent, crouching down to pick it up. She had hoped that her plan would work, but it didn't. Mitsukai was dead. She couldn't save him. A few stray tears slipped from her eyes as she hung the chain around her neck.

            Inuyasha stared sadly at her, "Kagome---gomen nasai. I'm so sorry, I-"

            Kagome stopped him with a mourn-filled glance, "It's okay, Inuyasha. You had no other choice."

            And with that, she headed straight for the Smurf den, before smiling weakly at them over her shoulder, "Kai-chan would probably call me an idiot for being sad. He wouldn't want me to be. All I know is that right now, he would want me to squish those 'little tone-deaf buggers' flat. So come on! We're going Smurf hunting."

            Her companions grinned a little at that, a sad grin though. They trotted after her, making their way to the tall red wood tree that housed the entrance to the Smurfs' caverns. The sadness could come later; right now, they had a jewel shard to retrieve. 

************************************************************************

            It took quite a while for the companions to navigate the many twisting halls, caverns, corridors, and chambers of the Smurfs' lair. It took even longer for them to figure out that they were heading into a trap. By then, it was too late....

            Kagome cried out desperately as she saw Inuyasha go down, gripping his ears in pain. Her own ears were throbbing too, for the music of the Smurfs was the cause. Miroku had sucked up HUNDREDS of the creatures into his Kazaana, and yet they still came. Sango and Kirara were attacking from the air, whilst Kagome and Inuyasha were working side by side to blow their enemies away with combined attacks.

            "Inuyasha! Are you okay?" she asked, concerned, as he stubbornly got back up.

            "Yeah, yeah, Kagome, I'm fine," he reassured, leaping back to her side. He seemed to be dragging a bit though, his limbs heavy with weariness.

            _He really needs a motivator, Kagome thought, _something that will get his blood pumping...._A very good idea came to mind. Moving up behind him, she whispered something slyly into his ear, and in a heartbeat, his energy was restored. He attacked with renewed vigor, swinging the Tetsusaiga like a mad-man. _

            During his attack though, he didn't notice that Tetsusaiga had hit some kind of shrine that the Smurfs had, until it was too late. With a flash of light, the chains surrounding it were broken, and to his consternation, something appeared from the gathered light. Check that, two somethings. Two someONEs, actually. A girl and a boy, to be precise. The girl blinked dazedly, looking around in confusion. She had mid-shoulder length black hair, and wore a pair of dark purple hakama (those baggy pants things), along with a lavender tank top. (^^;;) Her companion, a boy with the same lavender hair, wore black hakama, with a short-sleeved VERY dark purple shirt. The girl blinked again, and then realized that she and her friend were hovering a couple feet above the ground teeming with little blue creatures. 

            And then she realized that she was falling.

            SQUISH.

            She daintily lifted her boot up, making a disgusted face at the squished blue figure under it. "Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.....yuck."

            For the moment, everyone seemed paralyzed, just staring at the strange girl and her silent companion, who had managed to get down from his lofty position in the air without any complications.

            She lifted her eyebrow quizzically, "Um...hi?"

            Whhhheeeeeee!! Chaos again! Fun fun! The Smurfs were attacking again, and the two visitors fell right into fighting mode, one using the sword that was strapped to his back and the other using a rapier-like weapon. They cut and hacked, and hacked and cut, working in tandem with Inuyasha and the others.  Finally, after nearly twenty minutes of this exhausting full-force attack, there was only one Smurf left.

            "Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, "That's it! That's the Smurf with the Shikon shard!"

            "Where is it?" he questioned.

            "In its little white hat! Cut off the hat, Inuyasha!"

            To the newcomers, this couldn't have sounded stranger. 

            With a wild slash of his claws, the little white hat was cut off, and the Smurf ran around panicking, clutching the top of its bald little head and shrieking. Inuyasha, in irritation, kicked it straight through the rock wall. Needless to say, it wouldn't be getting back up.

            Kagome carefully stepped over the masses of dead Smurfs, picking up the Shikon shard and purifying it. She sighed in relief. That *had* to be their hardest confrontation yet. Now she just wanted to go home, cuddle with Inuyasha, and mourn the loss of her adopted brother privately. 

            But, as always, there were complications.

            "Sorry to interrupt, but who are you, and where are we?" asked the lavender-haired boy, looking at them curiously. 

            "Er......."

            Oh booyyyyyyy, THIS was going to be a lllllooooooooooonnnnnngggggg day.....

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            Me: Okay peoples, there it is! The third chap in a ridiculously small amount of time! Can you believe it took me four days to write this?! Seriously, I only get like, an hour a day on the comp to myself!

            Mitsukai: T_T She-she killed me! ME!! HER OWN OC!! 

            Me: ^^;; 

            Mitsukai: *turns evil* YOU WILL DIE, HUMAN!!

            Me: Oo;; Uh, now Kai-chan, if you are REALLY nice to me, I'll maybe think about bringing you back to life next chap. Also, the reviewers are gonna want to have you back too. 

            Mitsukai: *turns puppy dog eyes on the reviewers* Please, please, tell her to bring me back? Pretty please? *cute pout* 

            Me: Argh! Stop it! The cuteness! The cuteness! *quickly hands out anti-cuteness protection goggles to all who can't stand the kawaii* 

            Mitsukai: ^_^* 

            Me: I know, I know, I went against the reviewers and killed you. I just wanted to see how they reacted, that's all. *nervous smile* If I get death threats, then I probably will include a plot twist in here. Oh yeah, and the next chap is CHOCK FULL O' FLUFF!! Have fun, and REVIEW darn it! *glares at the people who are still sitting there, avidly reading this and yet not reviewing* I don't care how late it is that you review, just do it! I LOVE new reviewers! They inspire me to write! Got that?! NOW GET TO IT!! 


	18. Attack of the Clones! ErDoppelgangers!

            Hey all! ^^;; Please dun hurt meh. I would've updated sooner, but my uncle's been living on the comp most of the time for the past month. Gomen. 

            Okay...let's tally up the score.

Those who want Kai-chan back: 15

Keep him dead and laugh at his charred remains: 5

Well, let's see, times I was threatened with death: 3

*sigh* Guess you guys win. Kai-chan comes back. *evil grin* But who says that he'll be the same...?

Mitsukai: O_o Okay already! I give! I'm sorry!! GOMEN!! *gives Erica a huge offering of candy, pocky, ponies, and assorted other items* Just bring me back!! D.G.'S MAKING FUN OF ME!!

D.g.: *appears* WHHHHHHEEEEEEEEE!! *throws a math book through him* HEEHEE!! GHOSTY KAI-CHAN!! MWAHAHAHAHAZ!! *disappears*

Me: O_OU Okaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy.... that was slightly disturbing...

R&R!

Sailor Saturn: ^_^ Glad you're happy. And thanks for actually reading my author's notes!

Melfina: *sweatdrop* Fine. Mitsukai comes back. 

Sunbeam: *blanch* AGH!! THE KAWAIINESS! I CAN'T SEE!! I'M BLINDED!!

Augury: O_O *inches away* Ah, sure, yeah, he's comin' back....and, as you've already found out, I don't update all that often.

LittleBlueBlob: -_-* Yeah, I know how ya feel....his 'you just kicked me, the puppy' look inspires huge amounts of guilt....

Charis13: Hehe...at least he was dead for a while.

AoiTsuki: *prancing around on her pony* WHEEEEEE!! GIDDYUP!!

Hamtaro Cutie: *sweatdrop* *hands Hamtaro Cutie another coffee cup filled with decaf*

ssjinpan: Uh...yeah...right...that's what happened.....^^;; And Spike and Wolfwood didn't REALLY die in their series, it was only make believe! *sarcasm* But yeah, anyways, he DID look really cool. Unless he's directing his anger at you. Then he looks scary.

Hedi Dracona: O_O* *runs away* 

rainbow: THANK YOU FOR READING MY NOTES!! YOU ARE A WONDERFUL REVIEWER!! *gives rainbow lots of candy*

Anime Child of Darkness: AHHHHHHHHHHHH!! I'M BLINDED EVEN MORE!! STOP WITH THE PUPPY LOOKS! *puts on extra special kawaii-protection goggles* Hehe...lucky you. You get Hiei AND Yami! ^_^ Hey. I got dibs on Ashitaka though.

INLOVEWITHINUYASHA!!!!: ^_^ Hooked eh? *checks off another name on her huge list* Only five thousand, three-hundred, and sixty-seven more members to go.

esteebee: *happily points to all the pocky she got* Do you think we should forgive him now?

Riku the Evil: ^_^ Glad ta hear from ya!

Kurume the dark angel: O_O* *ducks under the computer desk* HEY!! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE AIMING THOSE ATTACKS!!

Sakura-chan88: Yeah. I know about the death threat stuff. Been there. *eyes the reviewers holding pitchforks* 

Loselen Snowstar: Thank you for listening to my notes! And Kai-chan's comin' back I guess....

Happy Youkai: ......darn it. He's comin' back ta life. ^_~ At least he got me pocky!

Raku Ozzarian princess: ^_^ Thanks for reading the notes!

ashleyiscool16: O_o *backs away slowly* *calls the asylum* 

Sailor Neptune: *sweatdrops and sighs* *hands Sailor Neptune an ice cream cone with 50 scoops in it* Trunks, I still have yet to figure out how you put up with people like her. *watches as Brat chases D.g. who is yelling something about evil maniacal grass* ^^;; I still have yet to figure out how *I* put up with people like them....

**Kitten Caboodle**

**Chapter 17: Attack of the Clones! Er...Doppelgangers!**

****

            As he opened his eyes, he noticed one thing off the bat. It was dark. And heavy, stale even. He could barely even breathe, let alone move. It felt as if a mountain had crashed down upon him. 

            _Am I dead?_

            Then, the second thing he noticed. The pain. His whole body felt on fire, even his HAIR hurt!

            _OW!! FREAKIN' HELL!! Wait a minute, if I'm in pain, even though I'm dead, that means I didn't make it to heaven, and that means....GHA!! THEY SENT ME TO THE OTHER PLACE!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!_

            _//Quit your whining, you pansy!// _

            _AH!! SOMEONE'S TALKIN' IN MY HEAD!! GET IT OUT!! GET IT OUT!!_

_            //Shuddup moron! Use your hard head and get out from under that pile of dirt, idiot!//_

Oh great, now the voice was insulting him. Wait a minute...dirt? He was buried? He was still alive?!

            _//Well DUH Einstein. I'm amazed it took you that long to figure it out.//_

_            Grrrrrrr....who the heck are you?!_

_            //If you dig yourself outta there, then you'll find out, won't you?//_

Okay, so maybe the voice had a point. He had also just realized that it was getting harder and harder to breathe every moment that passed. With a pained grunt, he managed to push off the pounds of dirt atop him, and dug his way out. He made it through the pile, and narrowly missed being reburied by the small landslide his movements had caused. Groaning, he sat down on the hard rocky floor, rubbing his head with his one good arm. The other looked to be broken. 

            _Okay, I'm out. So where are you?_

_            //Off to your left.....baka.//_

Okay, he was getting more than a little angry at this insulting and sarcastic voice. He slowly turned his head to the left, and what he saw left him in shock.

            "It's....it's ME!!"            

            His doppelganger glared scathingly at him, unmoving from his position against the rock wall of the cavern they were buried in. 

            "Still haven't figured it out, have you?" it sneered.

            He took a good, long look at his would-be clone. The menacing-looking boy had dark black bat wings, and fiery crimson eyes that burned from behind grayish-black hair that seemed to defy gravity. A fang protruded from its upper lip as it sneered, glaring at him. It wore the same exact clothes he had on, only black and red in color. In short, the boy looked like his evil-side incarnate.

            In turn, the evil one studied HIS clone. After all, this was the first time they had ever met face to face. The boy had golden hair, that, like his, seemed to defy gravity, and sapphire eyes that showed with every emotion. Odd enough was that he had angel wings, dusty and dirty, but still glowing white and gold. His blue and white clothes were also tattered, and his body was covered with scratches and bruises. 

            The angel ventured to speak first, "So...who are you?"

            "I am you."

            "You are? How the hell is that?!"

            The dark one tried not to roll his eyes at the angel's naiveté, "Do you remember anything from the fight that you, or should I say I, fought just a little while ago?"

            "Yeah...most of it."

            "Do you remember when that miko shot the arrow at the pendant?"

            "Yeah..." The angel couldn't see where this was going.

            "I can't tell you much about what happened to that pendant, but when the arrow shot it, it separated US into two different beings."

            "Dammit...just when I thought my life was at its worst, THIS has to happen....So, do you have a name?"

            "No. Not a birth name at least. But I was called something during the fight."

            "Hm? What was that?"

            "Daemon."

            "Well, nice ta meetcha Daemon, my name's Mitsukai. So...what should we do?"

            "Find our way out of this pit."

            "Good thinking. Got any idea how to do it?"

            "Not a clue."

            ".....dammit."

            "You know...angels shouldn't swear."

            Mitsukai glared at his counterpart. "Yeah, well, demons shouldn't act so nice to their opposite side, now should they?"

            "Whoever said that demons had to be evil? Whoever said that darkness was totally evil?"

            "Uh...."

            "I, for one, am capable of being nice when I want to, just as you are capable of being cruel. I just choose to insult you and be evil."

            Great. Now he had a LOGICAL other side. But...the guy DID have a point.

            "Okay. You're right."

            "I always am."

            "Uh-uh!"

            "Yeah-huh!"

            "No way!"

            "Yes way!"

            "Wait a minute! I already see where this is going! I ain't gonna fall for that trap! I already lost that game with a kid named Shippo!"

            The two glared at each other. 

            I have a feeling that there's not much brotherly love to be shared in this cave.....

************************************************************************

            "Fluffy-sama! Wake up! Rin wants to play now!" A small hand tugged at his shirt sleeve, pleading, "Please Fluffy-sama! Onegai?" 

            'Fluffy-sama' just kept his eyes closed, hoping to drown out the intruding voice. A pair of giggles and a small rustle was all that warned him before he was tackled, waking him up from his rest. Two pairs of hands somehow found a ticklish spot on the invincible Sesshoumaru, and used their newfound advantage against him.

           Gasping for air between laughing and begging, he managed to somehow speak, "I-I'm awake, y-you c-can stop now! I'm awake!" With a few more giggles, he was released, quickly scooting away from the two smirking women. 

            "Good to finally see you awake," purred Utsushineko, "For a second, we thought that you'd died."

            He merely glared and 'hmphed', sticking his nose up into the air arrogantly. "A high-born youkai like me can awake at the slightest sound."

            "Rrrrrrrriiiiiiiggggggghhttttttt...." Another argument was about to start between the two again, but thankfully, Rin interrupted.

            "Come on Fluffy-sama and Neko-chan! Let's play a game! Rin is bored!"

            With horror, the two adults stared warily at the child. A bored Rin was a dangerous Rin. 

            "Okay Rin-chan, what should we play?" Neko asked.

            "Ummmmm...dress up!"

            The second Sesshoumaru heard those words, he knew that he was in big trouble. And judging by the huge smirk on Neko's face, she knew it too.

            "That sounds great Rin-chan!"

            With slow, small steps, Sesshoumaru made his way to Kouga, who was staring at the two girls in horror also. They exchanged the look all guys get when the womenfolk were planning something.

            We womenfolk have labeled it the 'We are so dead' look. 

            Oh, what fun it is to see that look. 

            "Oh Seeeeeeessssssshhhhouuuuummmmmmarrrrruu-sama," cooed Neko, "Come over here please."

           For once in his life, Sesshoumaru was truly frightened, shaking slightly. He shook his head and ducked behind Kouga, who was trying to find some place to hide in the small room.

            With a wave of her hand and an 'Accio, make-over kit!', the taller of the two girls held up said kit.

            "Oh bbbbbooooooooooooyyyyyyyyyssssssss......."

            With a scream, the two decided that Tsuki was easier to face than this. They scrabbled at the door, before being dragged back tooth and nail to the middle of the room, where they were then tied up in spelled rope, allowing them no chance of escape.

            And the girls were loving every single minute of it.

************************************************************************

            Inuyasha studied the people sitting across from him suspiciously, making sure to be ready to attack at any given time, if needed. Before introductions were to be made, they had all agreed to find a better place to talk, their current location having been a large cave filled with thousands of dead little blue bodies. 

            Okay, so Inuyasha didn't mind, but still, Kagome had been about ready to cry.

            And now, here they were, under a maple tree, staring awkwardly at each other, the silence suffocating.

            And of course, we all know Inuyasha isn't one to beat around the bush...

            "Who are you and how did you come out of that shrine?" he asked, rather bluntly I might say. But no, he had to add more, "And what's with those freaky clothes?"

            Kagome rolled her eyes and jabbed her elbow into his side as a warning.

            The girl across from them chuckled a bit at their antics. "My name is Rose, and this is my boyfriend, Trunks. As for how we got into that shrine, I can't remember much. We've been imprisoned for a long time."

            "How long?" asked Miroku, shifting slightly and moving a little bit closer to an unsuspecting Sango. 

            "Around fifty years, I guess."

           The five companions stiffened in shock. It seemed that everything these days had something to do with fifty years ago. It could be destiny, or just the cruel tricks of a higher being. 

            The girl continued on with her story, "Me and Trunks were just walking along, minding our own business, when we came across this guy in a baboon pelt." She snorted, "He looked ridiculous in it. Anyways, we exchanged a few polite words, and all of a sudden he got angry and trapped us in that rock you broke, hurling it down through the ground into the cave of a Smurf den."

            Trunks sweatdropped a bit at Rose's words, "Actually, it wasn't a 'few polite words.' More like she insulted him about his choice of clothing, and he threatened to kill her."

            Rose grinned sheepishly.

            "So, let me guess, you want revenge against Naraku too, am I right?" asked Sango.

            "You mean the baboon guy? Hell yeah! For FIFTY years we had to listen to that god-awful sound the Smurfs made! FIFTY YEARS!!" Rose stated.

            Inuyasha sighed, "Great. By the time we DO get to fight Naraku, there won't be enough of him left to pass around. *I* wanted to kill him."

            "Hey, first come, first serve buddy," retorted Rose.

            "Rose, now would not be the time to take out your anger on these kind people," Trunks warned.

            "Yeah, yeah, you're right. Sorry 'bout that. I kinda have a temper."

            "Don't worry, we understand," Kagome smiled, "Believe me, if I was stuck listening to those Smurfs for even a DAY I would go crazy and attack anyone who came near me."

            And with that, the ice was broken.

            "So, how'd you guys end up here?" asked Rose.

            And so they all explained, from their first encounters with each other, to the adventures, and to the present time.

            "So, you say you met a guy named Mitsukai?" question Rose.

            "Yeah, but he was turned evil, so Inuyasha had to kill him," Kagome sniffled.

            Rose exchanged a secret look with Trunks, then turned back to Kagome, "Actually, I don't think he would die that easily."

            "What do you mean?" Miroku looked at Rose curiously, but chose to stay his distance; that boyfriend of hers looked quite possessive. It would not be good to get him angry. 

            "Well, we sorta....er....met him, before we were to be imprisoned," Rose explained, "And I don't think he's the kind to die so abruptly."

            Kagome fingered the pendant as she was told this. Could he actually be alive?

            "Take us to where he was supposedly killed," asked Trunks, "I might be able to find out if he is still alive."

            And so they went. 

            Trunks scouted the area at which the Wind Scar had torn, and noticed a small cave-in, probably leading to one of the Smurf caverns, in the middle of the field. He pointed to it, "Was he hit right about there?"

            The others nodded.

            He and Rose bent over the hole, and gazed down its inky depths.

            "HAAAALLLLLOOOOOO DOWN THERE!! CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME?!" she called into it. A muffled thud and some swearing answered her.

            "Who the heck are you?!" shouted back a voice.

           Another thud, and more swearing came. "Baka! It could be rescuers! I don't know about you, but I want out of here! Now shuddup and let me do the talking!"

            As soon as the voices were heard, the others dashed to stand by the hole.

            "Mitsukai! Is that you?!" Kagome hollered down.

            "K-Kagome?!" came the reply from the first voice.

            "Don't worry Mitsukai, we'll get you out of there before you go all the way crazy!" Rose happily called.

            "What do you mean by that?!"

            "Well, we heard you talking to yourself, and that's the first sign of insanity!"

            A brief silence was issued, followed by mutters.

            "Uh, guys, I hate to tell ya this, but I got some bad news for ya!" he hesitantly shouted, "I-uh- haveadoppelgangerandhe'smydarksideandheisn'tverynicebutIcan'tgetridofhimsoyou'llhaftarescuehimtoo!"

            "WHAT?!" They all shouted.

            "I SAID that I have a doppelganger and he's my dark-side, and he isn't very nice but I can't get rid of him so you'll hafta rescue him too!"

            "Gggggggreeeeeeeatttttttt..." drawled Inuyasha, "Just peachy."

            Of course, during this brief moment of distraction, a certain monk took advantage of a certain demon slayer's lack of defense.

            SLAP!!!!!!!

            "HENTAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!"

************************************************************************

            Sesshoumaru and Kouga were so miserable and humiliated that they felt they could've committed suicide right there on the spot. 

            The day had been hell; forced to cross-dress and have make-overs all for the sick amusement of two evil girls.

            "NO WAY WILL I WEAR THAT!!" shouted Kouga, "THAT OUTFIT DOES NOT MATCH!!"

            To make it even worse, Kouga had started to get a fashion sense.

            While Rin tried to persuade Kouga to wear the purple and pink skirt with the light blue top, Utsushineko made her way over to Sesshoumaru. She sat beside the demon and smiled happily.

            "Having fun?" she asked.

            "I'd have more fun drinking acid," he blithely replied.

            She pouted, and her tail immediately fuzzed up. Almost automatically, his hand reached out to pat the fur down. She looked at him oddly.

            "I thought we'd had this talk before," she muttered.

            "Humph," he huffed, snatching his hand back and crossing his arms across his bare chest. 

            "Aw, come now Sesshy, don't get so offended! I was only joking!" she pleaded, latching onto his side. Slowly, she felt the stiff body relax, and smiled. Hmmm...he was very warm, and she hadn't gotten any real rest......maybe she could just....rest her eyes for a minute....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.............

            Sesshoumaru heard the snore, and looked in surprise down at the sleeping girl. With a roll of his eyes, he pulled her onto his lap, settling in a more comfortable position.

            And still Rin tried to get Kouga to wear the 'newest fashion'. 

************************************************************************

            Tsuki growled and paced slowly outside the enchanted door, twitching his tail in annoyance. _Damn pests....._he snarled.

            On the back of his neck, a Shikon shard glowed brightly.

            He only had one mission; kill those who had separated him from his mistress. Lord Naraku said that once they were gone, he would be able to find his mistress.

            He whimpered slightly. Why couldn't he remember anything besides his mistress? All he knew was that he was her pet, and that she was very kind, with long black hair a loving eyes. He gladly had her as an owner.

            But as soon as he thought he had summoned up some memories, they flittered away again, falling through his mind like water cupped in a pair of hands.

            It didn't matter though. He would kill these pests, regain his memories, and find his mistress. Nothing would stop him.

************************************************************************

            OO!! Development! I made this as long as I could in the time I had (two hours!). But don't worry, I'll have the next chapter up by October 3! Stay tuned! And review! Ja!


	19. Kodak Moments

*watches as the two boys fight over the remote control* O_o;;

Daemon: YOU WILL RELINQUISH CONTROL TO ME!!

Mitsukai: YOU WISH!!! 

Daemon: GIVE IT TO ME!  
Mitsukai: NO!

Daemon: YES!!

Mitsukai: NO!

Daemon: YES!!

Me: Um...how about you two just choose a channel you both like?

Daemon/Mitsukai: STAY OUT OF THIS!!

Me: O_O*

Daemon: *manages to take the control* YES! I shall rule the television! MWAHAHAHA!

Mitsukai: MINE!! *starts another fight*

Me: *sigh* On to the review responses....

R&R

Sailor Neptune: Uh...yeah Trunks...you're in the story....*gets scared as she watches Trunks jump about in glee* Uh...*runs off*

Vanilla Bean: ....*points to the Submit Review button* Ya see this? Ya only hafta press it ONCE....

Kurumi the dark angel: ^_^* While you might be laughing...I'm not. *flinches as yet another thing is broken by the two boys' fighting* Urk...two older brothers...there's hardly any food left in the fridge! T_T

Hinote Jueru: Ah, if I told ya that, it would spoil the ending. ^_~

esteebee: Oh yeah. He's forgiven...but now Daemon's gonna have some kissing up to do if HE doesn't wanna die....

Daemon: O_o;; WHAT?!

Me: Hehe...joking.

Tifa daughter of Inutaisho: *gags as the sappy line* Sorry about that...fluffy sayings like that scare me.....

demented-squirrel: ^_^ Dress up for guys is fuuuuuunnnnn...

Mitsukai/Daemon: NO IT'S NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sailor Saturn: *watches as Sailor Saturn jumps around in joy too* *sweatdrop* Why is everybody doing that?!

Sakura-chan88: *looks at Sakura* *looks at Daemon* *looks back at Sakura* Sure. He's all yours. I still legally own him (he's my older bro, duh), but ya, do what you will with him.

Daemon: *glare* Want to repeat that?!

Me: ^_^* What? Oh, and Sakura-chan, I have NO idea why everybody thinks that was the last chap....

Daemon: -_-* *notices that Erica goes off topic quite easily*

Me: Sorry my kawaii older bro, but I can't help it if they love ya!

Daemon: ....I'm starting to think that I should have turned evil.....

Me: ^^;;  Have fun with him Sakura-chan! Don't hurt him too badly! 

Daemon: .....come near me and I'll whack you with this sword....

Me: *pushes Daemon into the van that'll take him to Sakura's house* Now be a nice guest, and don't kill anyone! Love ya, buh-bye! *waves as the car drives off*

AoiTsuki: Uh...yeah....fluffy...here, have a plushie....*throws a Sesshoumaru plushie at AoiTsuki and backs away slowly*

****

**Kitten Caboodle**

**Chapter 18: Kodak Moments**

            Well now, wasn't this an interesting situation? I mean, it's not everyday when you're staring your opposite look-alike in the face after going through a whole giant incident where you were possessed and all your friends thought that you had died. Not to mention that your dark side is a total ass.

            _//I can hear what you're thinking, you know.//_

_            Well, isn't that just peachy?_

_            //....what are peaches?//_

_            Do you know ANYTHING about the world?_

_            //Hey, I only got my own separate body today! You kept me squished down inside...//_

_            I *knew* that there was something else to that little voice that told me to kill stuff._

_            //...Okay, so I have homicidal tendencies. You got a problem with that?//_

_            No, not at all. Just don't kill unless it's a life or death situation. _

_            //Does murdering rampaging, rabid fan girls count as a life or death situation?//_

_            No._

_            //Damn it...//_

Mitsukai glared at his counterpart. Daemon glared back.

"Mitsukai!" a voice recognized as Kagome's called down into the cave from the little patch of light seen above. "Do you still have your wings?"

"Yeah!" he called back.

"Can't you fly out?"

"......" Daemon snickered at the look on Mitsukai's face.

"Is there something wrong, brother dear?"

"Daemon....shut up."

"I'm surprised you didn't think to fly out sooner."

"Hey, I didn't see you suggesting that plan of action!"

That shut Daemon up. He huffed and crossed his arms, flapping his dark wings angrily. "Let's just get out of here."

"What? Is widdle Daemon afwaid of the dark?"

"More along the lines of, 'Is widdle Daemon afwaid of having to spend another minute with his brother?' To that, the answer would have to be yes."

SMACK.

@_@ ← Daemon.

"DAMMIT MITSUKAI! THAT'S IT!! YOU ARE DEAD!!" With a snarl, he leapt at the angel, fangs bared. 

"Guys! Quit fighting and get your asses up here!" yelled down one of the unknown voices, belonging to a girl.

"Alright already, we're coming!" shouted back Mitsukai. With a final glare at his would-be brother, he took off into the air, managing to navigate the narrow passage out of the cave, Daemon right behind him.

Once landed, they first noticed the shocked stares they were getting.

"Man, you weren't kidding when you said you had a doppelganger," muttered the new girl as she poked and prodded Daemon, who hissed and took a swipe at her.

"Touch me and you die!"

"Geez, temper, temper!"

"MITSUKAI!!" shouted a gleeful Kagome as she glomped the blonde-headed hanyou. 

"Urk....can't....breathe...help....Inuyasha!"

With some assistance, he managed to break free of the chokehold she had on his chest. He wheezed slightly and rubbed the already bruised area gingerly.

"So....Mitsukai, we meet again," said the girl, mock serious. 

Mitsukai took a double glance at her. "R-Rose?!"

"The one and only," Rose smiled, "With Trunks of course."

"Okay, enough with the reunions already! Could someone please tell me who you all are?!" growled Daemon, glaring at them. 

"Mitsukai, who's this guy?" asked Sango, slightly taken aback. 

"Uh, he's Daemon, my darker half," explained Mitsukai. 

"Oo, like your evil, wicked alter-ego?" asked Shippo, staring at Daemon in awe and fear.

"I AM NOT EVIL!!!!"

"Ya coulda fooled me," muttered the kitsune.

And so, that was how their meeting first started.

Do I sense tension in the air?

************************************************************************

            There was an annoying clicking noise in the background, along with the whispers of more than one person. Two, maybe. His subconscious was having a hard time waking up today. Hmmmmm...what was that nice warmth on him? 

            He smiled softly and fell even deeper asleep, only to be jerked back to near awakening by that same clicking.

            Click. Whirr. Click. Whirr.

            What the hell was it?!

            With supreme effort he managed to crack open his eyes to tiredly glare at whatever dared to awaken him. He shouldn't have done it.

            Click. Whirr. Blinding light.

            "AH!! MY EYES!!" he screeched, quickly closing them tightly in pain. Oo, look at all the pretty lights mommy....

            A shifting came from on top of him, and another person's mumbling was heard.

            "What kind of freak is waking me up this early? Whoever it is will die," said the feminine voice.

           Sesshoumaru took the minute to register everything. Okay, that feminine voice and weight atop him was Utsushineko. Those giggles and whispers would have to be Kouga and Rin. But what caused that flashing light?

            Click. Whirr. Blinding light.

            "$&%^!!" swore Utsushineko. She'd obviously opened her eyes.

            Sesshoumaru once more forced his heavy eyelids up. Blearily blinking them, he managed to make out the shapes of the two people responsible. 

            "Argh! Kouga! Rin! Drop the camera and no one gets hurt!" threatened Neko, getting up from her spot on Sesshoumaru and growling at the wolf demon and Rin.

            "What? You mean this?" asked Kouga mockingly, holding up the camera, "So that's what you call it. Wonderful contraption really. It creates instant paintings of whatever you aim it at! Look at all the pictures we got!" He held up a small pile of photographs; all with Neko and Sesshoumaru cuddling on them.

            "YOU ARE SO DEAD!!" she screeched, attacking the wolf prince.

            With a scream, the wolf with a fashion sense ran as far as he could, getting chased in circles by the enraged neko-hanyou. Rin rolled on the ground laughing, pointing at the two warring demons.

            "Rin thinks you two are funny!"

            "Rin, it's not nice for little girls to act mean towards others," admonished Sesshoumaru.

            "But Sesshoumaru-samaaaaaaaa...."

            "Now go break those two up before I have to."

            "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama..."

            Inside, Sesshoumaru was mentally cheering. __

_            And THAT is how you deal with kids, ladies and gents! _

            Just as Rin was about to go and play the mediator, she noticed a little piece of laminated paper on the ground. Picking it up, she smirked evilly.

            "Oh Fluffy-sama, look what I found, a picture!" She chirped, showing it to him. And judging by the shocked widening of his eyes, this would make good blackmail. "Now, what if I showed Inuyasha-san or Kagome-chan this picture? Wouldn't that be cool?"

            Inside, Sesshoumaru's good mood was rapidly declining. _I'm being blackmailed by a little girl.....oh the shame....._

************************************************************************

            "Ya know...I don't think that I'll ever get that goddamned song outta my head...." muttered Rose, groaning as she and the others walked down the dirt road leading to the village by Inuyasha's Forest. 

            Of course, the arguing going on in the back of the group between two look-alikes wasn't helping the situation either...

            "Daemon! What have I told you about killing things?!"

            "What?! It was just a squirrel!"

            "I SAID NO KILLING UNLESS IT WAS A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION!!"

            "That squirrel was planning something, I swear! It GLARED at me! My life was in actual danger from its evil laser eyes of doom!"

            _Oh Kami-sama...not only do I have a logical dark side, he has to be crazy also...._

"I'm not crazy!"

            "Then if you're not crazy, then stop killing the squirrels!"

            "...."

            SWISH. CHOP. THUD.

            "DAEMON!!!!!!!"

            "What?! It wasn't a squirrel! It was a rabbit!"

            "Oh my God...Daemon, just DON'T KILL ANYTHING. NOTHING. GOT THAT?!"

            Suffice to say, nobody dared to look back at what was happening behind them with the two boys. 

            "So, does anybody have any clues as to where the next Shikon shard is?" asked Sango.

            "Ah, yes Lady Sango, I heard from Hachi that there was one in the northern part of the mountains," stated Miroku, eyeing her from the corner of his eye.

            "Wait a minute...I feel like I'm forgetting something," muttered Kagome. She thought for a minute before the answer came to her. "Uh-oh...I forgot to take back Tsuki from Utsushineko...I hope she isn't worried."

            "Don't worry, Kouga went to her house to tell her about our little predicament," reassured Inuyasha, wrapping her in a hug.

            "But the shouldn't he be back by now?" asked Shippo.

            "Uh...."

            A scream from behind them interrupted their conversation.

            "DAEMON!!!!!! YOU JUST KILLED A DOVE!! HOW COULD YOU?!"

            "It's song was getting annoying!"

            Kagome groaned and settled deeper in Inuyasha's embrace.

            "I'm thinking that we shouldn't let those two in the village......."

************************************************************************

            Out of the shadows near the house of Neko-chan, a white-clad figure made its stealthy way towards the door. 

            Tripping across a rock only once, of course.

            Upon finding the door unlocked (actually, it was totally destroyed), the figure entered the house and strode through the hallways, searching for something, or someone.

            A low growling met the figure's ears, and it turned to its left to witness an angry demon cat clawing at a softly glowing door.

            "Hello again, Tsuki," purred the figure, a smirk clearly pasted across its lips.

            The cat turned to look back at him, baring his fangs.

            "What do you want?" he growled, swishing his tail angrily.

            "I have some much needed information that you might want," the figure spoke, voice full of smugness.

            "Tell me what you have to say, than leave."

            "I have come to inform you that your time grows short. I'll give you one more week to kill those I have told you to kill, before I take back what is mine."

            "Spare me the idle threats, Lord Naraku..."

************************************************************************

            "Kagome, can't we just ditch 'em somewhere?" pleaded Rose.

            "That wouldn't be nice!"

            "But they're gonna drive everyone insane!"

            "Rose-chan, just drop it," Trunks said, "You'll never convince her to lose those two."

            "Actually, I agree with Rose on this one Kagome," Miroku said, "Those two are a menace."

            "More like Daemon's the menace if you ask me," muttered Inuyasha.

            The whole group peered cautiously over their shoulders, still seeing the two boys fighting. Mitsukai had a really angry look on his face, while Daemon just coldly glared at him. Thankfully, the two were so far back from the group that no one could hear their conversation.

            "Daemon, please, stop acting like this!"

            "Well, I can't help it."

            "Why not?"

            "I *am* your dark side, remember? It's only natural for me to kill."

            "But you said you weren't evil!"

            "I'm not."

            "But then why-?"

            Daemon sighed and glared at his counterpart. "Just forget it, okay? You wouldn't understand anyway. Nobody would understand."

            "Daemon, I've seen the looks my friends have been giving us! If you keep acting this way, then they'll probably chase us away. Don't you want friends?"

            "No."

            "Well, I do! So just stop acting like such an ass!"

            "..."

            "Oh, so now you're giving me the cold shoulder?"

            "..."

            "Fine, be that way!"

            And so the two walked on in a cold, angry silence.

            The rest of the group was startled at the sudden silence of the two normally yelling boys.

            "Well, this can't be anything good," said Trunks.

            "I wonder what they were arguing about," Kagome muttered thoughtfully, eyebrows raised up.

            "Yeah, well, just be thankful they finally hushed up," grinned Rose.

            Meanwhile, Inuyasha was walking along, lost in his thoughts. He'd heard every word said, what with his being half-demon of course.

            _'Nobody would understand.'_

_            'It's only natural for me to kill.'_

Those words said by Daemon....they struck a bell within him.

            Because....he understood.

************************************************************************

            Oo....drama at the end. ^_^* The plot thickens, eh? I'll be updating either Sunday or Monday, so be ready! See ya later, ja!


	20. The Plot Thickens Like School Cafeteria ...

            Even with two essays due tomorrow, I still manage to get this out to you tonight like I promised! BOW DOWN TO ME FOR I AM THE GREAT MULTI-TASKER!

R&R Ya know what...I'm gonna let Daemon and Mitsukai do this.....

Mariko16: 

Mitsukai: OO!! MIME!!

Daemon: *sweatdrop*

Mitsukai: Mmmm...Eri-chan won't mind if I eat one of her sausage rolls....^_^

Sailor Neptune:

Mitsukai: Well...that sucks....

Daemon: *evil eyes* How dare they take off such a great fic?! It had everything in it! Death and gore! LET'S GO KILL SOME TRAITORS!! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!

Mitsukai: -_-*

AoiTsuki:

Daemon: *making a list* Okay, no killing squirrels, rabbits, fan girls, reviewers, butterflies, doves, foxes, dogs, cats, deer, televisions, computers, PS2, Lazy-Boy Recliners, teachers, students, homework, elephants, dolphins, bluebirds, mailmen, cars, or cousins. Okay, anything else?

Mitsukai: Brothers.

Daemon: Well, there goes all my fun! What CAN I kill?!

Mitsukai: Hojo.

Daemon: .....that's it?

Mitsukai: Yep.

Hedi Dracona:

Mitsukai: O_O *blink blink* Cool name....

Daemon: *facefault*

esteebee:

Daemon: YES!! I HAVE SOMEONE ON MY SIDE!! DEATH TO THE SQUIRRELS!!

Mitsukai: Actually, he's not your dark side, he's mine....

Daemon: *dancing* Target practice! MWAHAHAHAHAHAZ!!

Fukaimori-inu:

Mitsukai: Um...*thinks* It could use a bit more detail, but other than that, I thought it was great.

Daemon: Needs more fight scenes....

Mitsukai: *glare* No. Killing. I can already hear the gears turning in your head!

Kinchiata:

Daemon: O_O People actually think she writes well?!

Mitsukai: O_O That's messed up!

Me: *glare* 

THWAP!

Daemon/Mitsukai: OW!! 

Sapphire Lotus:

Daemon: *blink blink* Okaaaayyyy...

Mitsukai: ^_^ We got her to update!

Sailor Saturn:

Daemon: Hey, you think being forced to listen to THOSE demons was bad? Try being stuck with THIS guy for a century! *points to Mitsukai*

Mitsukai: I take that as an offense.

Daemon: ....duh.

morlana:

Mitsukai: *evil grin* Oh yes, we'll see what was on the photo....*evil laugh*

Daemon: Hm, you're very perceptive to this plot. You're right; the cat will smell her out. *mutters* Finally, a human with some common sense!

Sakura-chan88:

Daemon: *mutters as he hands Erica the new chapter* I never want to go through that again....

Mitsukai: What was so horrible about it?

Daemon: .....Some horrors just can't be told to the innocent.

Mitsukai: *blink blink*

ssjinpan2:

Daemon: ^_^ Hey, Mitsukai, if I get enough people to like me, can I be allowed to shoot squirrels again?

Mitsukai: ......no.

Daemon: *sulks*

Mitsukai: Oh yeah, and Erica has been hanging around with D.g.....don't worry though, I'm sure nothing bad will come of it....*hears a large explosion from somewhere within the bowels of the house* O_o* 

Me!:

Mitsukai: All questions will be answered in time! Just wait for it!

Daemon: ...or, she could just read the chapter.....

Mitsukai: Hehe, that works too....

demented-squirrel:

Daemon: Blackmail is fuuuuunnnnn...

Mitsukai: Don't get any ideas buddy.

Inugirl345:

Daemon: See! People love me! Can I kill the squirrels now?

Mitsukai: NO AND FOR THE LAST TIME NO!!!!!!

Daemon: ....*sniff chibi eyes* *transforms into kawaii little evil looking Daemon* Pwease?

Mitsukai: HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?!

Daemon: The Anime Laws of Physics.

Mitsukai: What is that?

Daemon: That there IS no law. 

            Okay boys! Time to move it over for the author! *pushes the two off the comp* Now let's get cracking!

****

****

**Kitten Caboodle**

**Chapter 19: The Plot Thickens ****Like********School**** Cafeteria Food!**

****

(Daemon: *looks at the title* *sweatdrop* Is that the best you can come up with?

Me: *hiss* *bangs him on the head* SHUDDUP!)

*****************

            It went around and around and up and down in a regular pattern, nearly hypnotizing the one who watched it with rapt fascination. Nothing had been explained to him as of yet, but he was still amazed by all the new things he had discovered while in company with Kagome and her friends. After much deliberation, the rest of the group had decided that it would be best if he and Daemon stayed out of the village. People around here, although used to seeing demons pop up, would not be partial to these two particular demons. Especially when their kind of youkai was thought to be extinct. No, the villagers would not react to that nicely. In seconds they would probably be clutching pitchforks and knives, yelling 'Kill the demon!' while him and his 'brother' ran for their very lives.

            Nope, they wouldn't react well at all.     

            It had been about an hour that they had been left here, right on the outskirts of the village, safe from the inhabitants' wary eyes, and he was growing bored of it. Why hadn't they come back yet? Maybe they really did mean to ditch him and Daemon. Daemon....of course, he wasn't really mad at his doppelganger. Maybe he should apologize. It was just stress that was talking, but by the looks of it, his twin seemed to be deeply offended by his words.

            Damn guilt. 

            He turned his attention back to the matter at hand, this hypnotizing little toy Kagome had given him to keep his attention while waiting. A yoyo she had called it. He called it 'the little wooden ball that can be shot at certain annoying twins.'

            Ah yes, it was a useful little item.

            But did Kagome really intend to come back for it? He sighed, causing his silent twin to glance at him in suspicion, still rubbing the bruise that was forming on his head when he had been hit by the yoyo. 

            He couldn't stand the oppressive silence anymore.

            "Daemon?'

            "....What?"

            Good. A reaction. Reactions are always a good thing. Well....not when it's a reaction from an angry demon, but anyway....

            "Do you think Kagome will come back for us?" He winced at the amount of uncertainty in his voice.

            "Maybe, maybe not," came the short reply.

            "How helpful and reassuring dear brother," said Mitsukai sarcastically, "I can just feel the worry and fear evaporating in the face of your strong and wise words."

            "...."

            Great. More silence. 

            "Aw, come on Daemon, don't be like that-" he started, but was cut off by his twin.

            "Be quiet and stand still," Daemon hissed, looking around warily, "I smell something not quite right around here..."

            Mitsukai opened his mouth to ask what, but was again stopped. This time, by the low growling that was coming from behind him. He froze, and saw Daemon's eyes narrow in anger.

            "Get away from my brother, demon," warned Daemon, stepping threateningly forward towards the being behind Mitsukai. He could feel hot rancid breath on the back of his neck that was too hot and rancid and close for comfort.

            A low voice growled out, "You smell like my mistress. Where have you taken her?"

            Mistress? 

            "I do not know of whom you speak," snarled Daemon, "But if you injure my brother I will gladly introduce you to my acquaintance Mr. Sword, and you can go visit a lovely little place called Hell."

            Damn it. Here he was, frozen in shock, unable to move for fear that he'd have his head sliced off. Oh happy day.

            A hiss met his ears, and he mentally yelled at Daemon to quit provoking the one who had control over whether he lived or died at the moment. 

            And of course, Daemon ignored him.

            Why that stupid little son of a-

            "I think not. I have orders to take you two alive. But that doesn't mean that I don't have to use force to get you to my master," that evil growl rumbled. He felt a quick slicing cut across the back of his neck before loosing consciousness.

            Daemon watched as his twin crumpled to the ground and snarled, enraged, attacking at the giant white cat demon that had dared to cross his path. Faster than lightening, the youkai managed to strike a hit to his chest, effectively knocking the wind out of his system. Another blow, this time to the head, left him unconscious as well.

            And with what might seem to be a grin, the cat picked them up with its long incisors and tossed them roughly on its back, bounding off with a stable and level leap and fading into the dusky twilight.

************************************************************************

            Kagome stared thoughtfully into the flickering flames of the fire, eyebrow furrowed in worry. Why hadn't Kouga come back yet? It had been agreed that they would head to Neko-chan's house to pick up Tsuki and take him back home, before starting on another journey for a jewel shard. She sighed and leaned back into the warm chest of Inuyasha, causing him to wrap his red-clad arms around her. For some reason, she had a bad feeling that something big was going to happen. Something horrible.

            And the worst part was she didn't think she could do anything about it.

            "Penny for your thoughts?" quipped Inuyasha in a solemn tone, using one of the more common phrases she had uttered.

            She twisted around to look into his bright golden eyes, and was silently awed anew at the intensity she saw in them. "I just have a bad feeling, that's all. I'm just being paranoid, I guess..." She trailed off, dropping her gaze to the ground instead. His arms tightened.

            "I've learned to trust you Kagome," he breathed into her ear, "And I know that when you have bad feelings that it isn't just paranoia."

            She shivered at the tone of his voice. She leaned up to look at him once again, letting her face get closer and closer to his.

            Two more inches and-

            "KAGOME-SAMA!!!" Miroku's voice called out, interrupting their private moment. "Hachi has just informed me that-" he paused, looking between the two teens that had Death Glares fixed upon him and his intrusion. 

            "Hehe, did I interrupt something?"

            "You're damn right you did monk," growled Inuyasha, thoroughly peeved at the odd thing Fate had against him and Kagome kissing.

            Fate is a very fickle person to please, and in this case, she must be pissed at Inuyasha for something he did to anger her.

            Note: Those who anger Fate WILL pay.

            And she had a sick and twisted sense of justice.

            "Anyway, there's something more important than whether you and Kagome get it on or not," continued Miroku, earning more glares, "We have trouble. Hachi has been wandering the area, and caught sight of a large white cat demon that has been causing trouble around the area where Utsushineko and Tsuki are. He also said that he believes that the neko-youkai chased several other people into the house; two of the people being Kouga and Sesshoumaru."

            If Inuyasha's eyes hadn't been wide before, they probably rivaled the eyes of Kuroneko from Trigun right now. That freaky cat had some serious eye problems.....

            "W-What?!" stuttered Kagome, horrified.

            "You heard me alright. Sango is currently beating Hachi on the head for not telling us sooner," Miroku smiled a little at that, "And Shippo went to get the Deadly Duo."

            Ah yes, what would anime be without the cliché name substitutes for one or more people?

            "So, we'll meet up with them at Neko-chan's house?' she asked, already standing up and packing necessary things.

            "That was the plan Lady Kagome," said Miroku, heading out the door.

            "Let's hurry Inuyasha!" Kagome urged, following Miroku out the door, "We have to get there before anybody gets hurt!"

            Inuyasha strode after her, sighing silently to himself.

            He never shoulda cheated when playing Go Fish with Miroku....Fate must be angry at him for that.....

            See? She has a twisted sense of justice!

            .......you mean Inuyasha cheated at Go Fish?!

************************************************************************

            Sesshoumaru was, if it was possible, getting bored.

            Oh my, hell has frozen over people!

            But really, how a high-born youkai like him could get bored, even we do not know. Our only clue is the Cheering Charm that was placed upon him by Neko-chan.

            Currently, the floor had been worn down about three inches, in a single straight groove, by the monotonous padding of shoe-clad feet that tramped around in the utmost bored manner. The owner of those feet was currently having his left eyebrow twitch spasmodically. 

            They had been stuck in here for only God knows how long, without any clue as to when they could escape. Neither he nor Kouga wished to try that little idea again.

            They could always use Neko-chan as the decoy this time around though....He grinned slightly at that thought. It seems that the little blue girl had grown on him like Rin did, a little spore that grew into a full-fledged fungus.

            Somehow, that comparison was eerily accurate. 

            He glanced to his left and saw Rin copying his movements, looking stern and solemn and stoic, all the while tripping over her own feet while trying to match his pace. He slowed, just a tad. 

            Off in the corner, Kouga was happily chatting with Utsushineko, discussing the wonders of binding spells.           

            That made his lip quirk a bit. Really, it reminded him of what happened to his 'dear' brother. Someday, he should thank that miko for it. He was actually quite glad that his brother had finally settled down, and with a strong miko too. Amazing, that it was. Two weeks ago, he would have been silently seething in anger, set to destroy anything in his path just at the thought of his hanyou brother associating with humans again.

            Had he really changed that much? And in so little time? It was almost improbable, yet here was the proof.

            ......He cared about people. Blech. He felt the need to gag. Never in a million years had he thought he would ever admit to that.

            _I blame it on the humans.......or at least, the part humans. Said part-human looked up from her conversation with Kouga and caught his eye, smiling shyly before turning her attention back to the matter at hand._

            Surprisingly, he felt himself smiling too.

            Would this be classified as a fluffy moment? He hoped to Kami-sama that it didn't....

************************************************************************

            And a little ways away, in a tall, dark, evil castle that we've all seen before, two inert forms were thrown into a cell littered with bones and smelt of blood.

            Another figure, Naraku, smiling evilly at the two before dismissing the giant cat that had quickly brought them.

            "Ah yes, now my plans are almost complete," he smirked, "And then, I SHALL RULE THE WORLD!! MWAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *gasp* AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-" A shoe to the head cut him off.

            "WOULD YOU SHUT UP YOU IDIOT?!" screamed Kagura, "I'M TRYING TO CONCENTRATE HERE!!!!!!"

            He scowled and stalked off, once again tripping over the Evil Rock of Doom.

            Bad guys never get the hint, do they?

************************************************************************

            There's the chap! It's all I could get with the time given, which was ONE HOUR. ^_^* Sorry, but that's all I'm allowed today. Homework and some such nonsense ya know....Anyway, review please!


	21. The Stirrings of Something Greater

            Long story short: School busses, ff.net acting up, faulty computers, gum and soda, and annoying cousins.

            See? It was short!!

            Review Responses!

            Sailor Neptune: ...........you've already read this chapter, hopefully. There aren't many changes here except for the review responses and Trunks and Rose's parts.

            Me!: Aren't I evil, leaving you all with cliffhangers?

            Inugirl: *evil laugh* Next chapter, NEXT chapter!

            Anima Mouse: Sadly, this chapter has very little humor. I was prodded by several people to keep a tighter grip on my plot, and this is what came of it.....But next chapter will be hilarious to make up for this one!! Oh yeah, and Kai-chan got the message. 

            AoiTsuki: Read!! Now!! REVIEW!!

            demented-squirrel: ......Don't worry, he isn't allowed to kill anymore squirrels.

            Sapphire Lotus: She still has it.

            Crystal Jewel: *sparkly eyes* People like me, they really like me!!

            littleblueblob: Eep! ....Chipmunks?! *Daemon laughs maniacally and starts to slaughter the creatures* DAEMON!! NO!! BAD!!

            Loselen Snowstar: Good, that you likes it, my preciousss story! *gollumness, lol*

            Yukidoe: NO INFLUENCING HIM!! And when I have time, I'll check out your stories. But...it is a really powerful cheering charm?

            Sakura-chan: I'll just draw you a picture of him. One question, chibi or full form?

            Daemon: *eye twitches* No crying! And yes, it was only your brother that I hated. ^_^ Actually, I liked you. You're a better author than her.

            Me: *twitch* *warning voice* Daaaaaeeeeeemonnnnn......

            Daemon: *innocent look*

            Me: *sigh* And I'll pass the message along to Brat for ya.

            ssjinpan: *sweatdrop* *hides* I didn't purposely torture Daemon and several other characters, no I didn't! Nope, no torture in the chapter, in fact, you just skip it and review and say you liked it okay? *innocent look*

            esteebee: ......no comment. *innocent look once again*

            Augury: Yeah yeah, I know Sessh is WAY OOC. *snicker* That's what's so funny about it!! 

            Riku the Evil: YAY!! *glomps Inu plushie* Do ya have a plushie of Ashitaka hiding around there somewhere too? *hopeful look* 

WARNING!! DRAMA IN THIS CHAP!! AND FLUFFY THOUGHTS!! .....ew.

**Kitten Caboodle**

**Chapter 20: The Stirrings of Something Greater**

            Inuyasha, being the stubborn half-demon he is, could not accept the fact that another demon had defeated his brother. Only HE was allowed to beat up Sesshoumaru. It was a fact of life. Brothers had to beat up brothers. NOBODY ELSE!! Growling, he stalked his way over to the small group that had gathered. Miroku, being the lecherous pervert that he was, had already tried several moves on Sango. This, resulting in several bruises and bumps to the head, creating a myriad of colors matching the violent red of a hand print. The monk was still currently 'resting' on the ground, swirly eyes occupying half of his face and a silly smile stretching across his features.

            "Mmmmm, it was worth the pain," he heard the monk mutter, already coming to.            

            He sighed, and shook his head in exasperation. People never really changed. But....he had his suspicions about Miroku. Even though people said he was totally clueless, he really wasn't. He had noticed things about the monk lately, wistful sighs and sad looks, and it made him wonder. Was it all just an act?

            He saw Sango conversing with Kagome, making wild, angry gestures while repeatedly beating Hachi over the head and shooting glares in Miroku's direction. Her ponytail bobbed up and down in pace with the erratic shakes of her head, and she kept fingering the bone boomerang strapped across her back, as though wanting to use it once more on someone. Someone named Miroku, perhaps. Already decked out in her battle suit, she looked ready to take on Naraku, such was the fury evident.

            Miroku must have really pissed her off this time.

            He slowed his pace to lean against a tree a little ways away from the group, unnoticed by them. With a small smile, he watched as Kagome tried to calm Sango down, murmuring soothing words and trying to rescue Hachi from Sango's death grip. Kirara rested on her shoulder, mewling every once in a while, looking upon the scene in no little amusement as Sango stomped around in a small circle, dragging Kagome, who was clutching at her arm in an attempt to slow her down. It wasn't working very well and only made Sango walk faster.

            He snorted. She always was trying to help people. His Kagome, sweet and kind and naive. And that was why he loved her. The way she walked, the way she talked, her smile, her grace, her attitude and spirit, all caught his attention, and he couldn't stop thinking about it. Before, he'd tried to ignore it, to no success. Before, he'd been worrying about Kikyo, hardly giving a thought to Kagome's feelings. He winced. He'd hurt her so much, and put her through so much pain. And yet....she forgave him.

            There would never be another like her in the world, nobody like his Kagome. And that made him smile. 

            He walked over to the group, smirking a little at their antics. Reaching one hand down, he pulled Miroku to his feet, shaking the monk slightly.

            "Come on you lazy bum, get up! We have places to be, people to save! No time for your perverted antics!" he taunted light-heartedly.

            Whoa....what a change.

            "Inuyasha, help me!!" pleaded Kagome, still being dragged around in a circle by Sango. "She won't stop!"

            Sighing, he quickly jumped in front of the demon slayer. Glaring at her, he growled, "Are we, or are we not going? Or should we just sit here all day and listen to you rant?"

            That stopped her in her place, her mouth forming a little 'o' and opening and closing repeatedly, much like a fish's. It snapped closed once more, and she returned the glare. 

            "I am NOT sitting near that monk," she stated, glancing furiously at the prone form of said monk.

            Inuyasha rolled his eyes and snorted, "You're gonna have to."

            She sighed in defeat, huffing angrily and hunching her shoulders. "Fine, but no moves, ya hear?!"

            Man. She really IS pissed!!

            Kirara, with a squeak, jumped down from Kagome's shoulder and transformed into her much larger form, seeming to share the same exasperated look that Inuyasha had. Sango quickly jumped on, and Inuyasha threw Miroku onto Kirara's back, giving a satisfied smirk as he heard the monk groan and say, "Okay, maybe it wasn't worth the pain...."

            And he was still in the dark as to what the monk did to upset Sango so.....

            "Are we ready to go, Inu-chan?" asked Kagome, giving him a questioning glance. He nodded, once, and said, "We'll meet Shippo at the house. It's not too far from here."

            After she had been settled comfortably on his back, they took off through the forest, avoiding trees, and conversing while he ran.

            "Do you think that Naraku might be involved?" she asked. 

            "As always," was the reply.

            "I still have that bad feeling....."

            "Why?"

            "Well, when I was trapped in the caverns, Mitsukai gave me a message he had gotten from the dragon that attacked us. He said that four of my friends were in danger. At first, I thought that meant you, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo....but you're all safe."

            Inuyasha furrowed his brow, scowling. "Who else could it be?"

            "....I really don't know...."

            "Tell me, what was this dragon like?"

            "Well, his name was Asiva-"

            "ASIVA?!" yelled a tiny, old voice from Inuyasha's shoulder. They both jumped slightly, and turned to look.

            "Aw man, and just when I thought I got rid of you," Inuyasha muttered.

            "My lord, I know of Asiva!" came the tiny voice belonging to Myoga. "Do you, or do you not want to hear my information?"  
            "Of course he does," Kagome cut in, "Please Myoga, tell us." She gestured to Sango, and the demon slayer moved Kirara closer to the bounding half-demon to hear.

            With a cough to clear the throat, Myoga stood up straight, nodding his head sagely, "Asiva was the lord of the Eastern Lands before Tanaki the Wise came into rule. He was known for being able to see into the future, and helped his lands to prosper. He was terribly strong, nearly rivaling your father, the Taiyoukai, in power. But then, one day, he just disappeared, and his lands fell into chaos. Many demons fought each other for rule of the Eastern Lands, and in the end, Tanaki, the tiger-youkai, prevailed. He managed to bring the lands under control once again, and has fought off many raids and attacks from other territories."

            "So you mean that the dragon that attacked me was once lord of the Eastern Lands?!" yelped Kagome.

            "Aye, that he was, and you say that this boy --Mitsukai, you said?-- defeated him?" 

            "Yes, he did....." her eyes widened in realization. "No way."

            Inuyasha, confused, looked at her, "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

            "Inu-chan, Asiva rivaled your father in power, and Mitsukai BEAT him."

            "So.....?"

            "Think of how strong he would have to be in order to defeat the former lord of the Eastern Lands!"

           Realization struck him in that instant. He choked, and nearly tripped, losing his balance. Falling back into even strides, he glanced at his companions in shock. They seemed to be thinking the same thing he was.

            "Who exactly is Mitsukai to be able to defeat a Taiyoukai?!" he yelled, making Kagome wince.

            "I really don't know anymore...." she murmured. There was more to this than met the eye.

            "Inuyasha, let us just concentrate on the matter at hand," said Miroku, a wise look on his face once again. "Just leave those matters till another time."

            "For once, the monk's right," conceded Sango, still angry and fuming.

            Kirara roared in agreement, tossing her head and wagging her tails. 

            "How much further?" asked Kagome.

            "About a mile," replied Inuyasha, thoughtfully. "If that cat's anywhere around here, it'll be able to smell us about now."

            And how right his words were........

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            "Daemooooooooon!! Mitsuuuuuuuuukkkaaaaaaiiiii!!" called the young voice of a fox kit, quickly hopping along on short legs as he raced along the edge of the forest. "Where are yoooooouuu?" 

            He paused, sniffing the ground. He could have sworn he'd left them right at the clearing near the edge of the forest. So where could they have gone?

            He went back to running along, waddling slightly on his stumpy legs. He'd reached the clearing, and yet there was no sign of them. He checked everywhere for the two; under rocks, behind trees, in the rabbit warren. They were nowhere to be found.

            With a sigh, he plopped down on a mossy rock, staring despondently at the ground, tracing little figures with his finger. Maybe they'd just gone out for a walk and would be back.....?

            He shook his head. That didn't make sense, Kagome had made them PROMISE to stay in the clearing. But then why weren't they here?!

            He sniffed as a sudden thought struck him. What if they'd lied? What if they got away as soon as the chance came to them? What if they really didn't want to be with him and the group? He liked them, they were funny. Did they hate him?

            _No. They didn't. Why am I even thinking this? Of course they don't hate me! Something must have happened, he decided. _But what?__

            Something bright and shiny caught his eye, lying on the ground a few feet away. Curiosity roused, he went over to investigate. Picking up the object, he looked at it happily. It was Kagome's yoyo! She'd lent it to Mitsukai for a little while. He knew Mitsukai just wouldn't leave something this cool lying on the ground, goodness knows that he, Shippo, would never do that! 

            "Something terrible must have happened to make him drop the yoyo," he said aloud. 

            But where were they now?

            A sudden, coppery smell came to his senses, one he had been ignoring for a while now. His nose twitched as he silently berated himself. Why didn't he follow the smell before?! It's obviously blood!!! 

            His eyes widened in horror as he realized his thought. Blood?! He ran to the source, and found a patch of the semi-dried red substance on the ground. He sniffed, and wrinkled his nose in disgust, looking at all the other patches that scattered the ground right outside the clearing. It was Daemon and Mitsukai's alright.

            "I've got to go tell Kagome!" he yelled, already turning to run, but he was stopped by a hand grabbing the scruff of his neck. 

            "HEY!! Let me go!!" he yelped, twisting frantically in the tight grip he was under.

            "Oh, I think not little fox kit. I do not want any interfering miko or hanyou to ruin my plans," the voice said coldly, the words tipped with a lethal poison. "Now, what you really should be worrying about is whether or not I'm going to kill you," it chuckled, gripping his neck tighter.

            Shippo squeaked as he fought to breathe, spots dancing in front of his eyes.

            Suddenly, the iron-hard grip was relaxed, and he gasped as air flooded into his depraved lungs.

            "No, I don't think I'll kill you just yet," the voice said yet again, amusement in its tone, "I do need another sacrifice, and you'd be perfect."

            Shippo's eyes bulged, and he struggled even more frantically to free himself.

            "Uh-uh, little kit, no escaping for you, my small trickster."

            Suddenly, his world went black as he was knocked unconscious, his eyes rolled up into his head and he slumped forward to his knees. The figure grabbed him, and threw him over its shoulder.

            "Back to the castle we go, my little friend," it laughed, striding along. "Where Lord Naraku awaits my arrival. I'm sure your friends will be happy to see you as well. But enjoy your happiness, for it is short lived."

            "Because, my little kit, you will all die tonight."

************************************************************************

            "Sesshoumaru-sama, what's wrong?" asked Rin, gazing up at Sesshoumaru with worried eyes. "Rin wants to know."

            Sesshoumaru gazed down at the human child, a distracted light in his eyes. "I can smell the coming of my half-brother."

            "Really? Inu-onii-chan is coming here?" Rin bubbled happily. 

            Sesshoumaru nodded. 

            "There's something else though, isn't there?" asked Neko, leaning against the wall next to him, her elbow slightly rubbing his. "Tell me."

            He just stared at the wall with a slightly concerned look on his normally calm face, "Tsuki has gone to meet him. I believe that he and his companions will be slaughtered."

            She faltered, startled, and stood upright and rigid, "They can't! They're my friends! They can't die! I won't let them!"

            He just kept staring at the wall, silent. Rin hugged his knee, rubbing her face into the soft fabric of his pants. "Rin is scared for Inu-onii-chan. Will Sesshoumaru-sama help Inu-onii-chan? Please? Even though Rin knows Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't like Inu-onii-chan.....please?"

            "I can't Rin. I'm....sorry."

            A dangerous tone entered Rin's voice, one he'd never heard before, "If Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't help Inu-onii-chan, Rin is going to show this picture to everyone Rin meets. Understood?" She growled.

            His eyes widened. She'd definitely been hanging out too much with him, that's for sure!!! 

            He looked at the picture she held up, a small smirk on her face. The picture was of him with a pink and yellow kimono dress on, wearing make-up and with his hair dyed pink. He was tied next to Kouga, who looked just as disgruntled, wearing a short purple mini-skirt and a short-sleeved pink shirt with little red hearts all over it. His hair, along with Sesshoumaru's, had been braided and dyed; only Kouga's was colored purple. That lipstick definitely complimented his features though......

            Sesshoumaru mentally shook himself. _I don't even want to go there_, he thought. _These girls must really be getting to me!_

            Kouga looked up at him from the ground, wide-eyed.

            "Hmmm....death or total humiliation, choices, choices," the wolf muttered. "Trapped between a rock and a hard place, is what we are."

            With a sigh, Sesshoumaru nodded.

            Utsushineko cheerfully held up her hand, "All those in favor of dying to save our friends, say 'aye'!"

            The two boys muttered the 'aye' in a monotonous voice, while the young girl nearly screeched it.

            "Alrighty then! Let's get goin'! Time's a-wastin'!"

************************************************************************

            Warning: Next part, very, very dark. Absolutely no humor here. Angst. Much of it. *smiles* I shouldn't have read that story before writing this.....It's also very....weird. Just to tell you, it's a dream. 

************************************************************************

            The images he saw were dark, and blurry, not very clear.

            But they were horrible.

            Screams and shrieks assaulted him at every side, the wails of pain attacking his emotions, tearing at his tormented mind. They stretched around him, their ghostly bodies, a shadowy, dark substance that was everything and nothing at once. They reached for him, claws forming from the air, scratching at his clothes and pulling and tugging and why wouldn't they go away?! Please, someone, make them go away!! 

            He clasped his hands over his ears, squeezing his eyes shut, and yet he still saw them. Their gazes that could freeze the bravest warrior in fear, their tormented, pain-filled, horrible gazes. They saw right through to his soul, piercing it with knives and basking in the light of it.

            They weren't right. This wasn't right. What were they? Why was he here? Please, someone, help me! I...I want to go home! I don't wanna be here! Why won't anyone help me? 

            They seemed to laugh then, those horrible faces twisting into gruesome smiles, showing sharp, glittering, blood-soaked fangs. Their eyes, deep, dark pits that could trap someone and make them fall forever, leered at him, taunting and tearing at him.

            They stretched tall, looming over him, and the only thing that kept them at bay was the weak shield of light that formed a sphere around him.

            But it was cracking.

            Their glee-filled shrieks told him that, as he watched them dance and move faster and faster, in anticipation.

            He saw the shadows rip at each other, fighting in such frenzy that it seemed only a massacre, and yet there was never a lack of the dark beings, which seemed to thrive on pain and fear.

            He moaned. God, where was he?! What was this place?!

            Their forms rippled around his little shield as he crouched into a tight little ball, willing it all to go away.

            The shield was cracking even more, and they jumped around him in bloodthirsty lust. He didn't know what they would do to him, but it wouldn't be anything good. It was never anything good. Never.

            Suddenly, one of the long nailed claws drove through the shield, scratching across his cheek, and he accidentally opened his eyes in surprise, staring straight into the face of the grinning ghoul whose nail had some of his blood on it. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

            Sudden realization hit him as he saw the thing pull its finger back out, and pried the hole open further. Now, it could stick its whole hand in, and he froze as it gently caressed his cheek, drawing blood with its sharp nails. Its touch was cold, colder than ice, and he involuntarily shivered, whether from fear or from the cold, he did not know. Its grin widened, and he could see the blood dripping from its fangs, the hunger in its eyes.

            And yet he could not move, but only gaze on in fear.

            Someone, anyone, pleasepleaseplease, helpme, god, help me! I'll do anything, just please get it away, I want to get away, I don't want to be here, it'll kill me, it'll hurt me, it's so cold, so very cold, why isn't anyone here?!

            His thoughts rambled on crazily, degenerating into mad, incoherent pleas for help as the thing continued to stroke his cheek and hair, moving to his neck. Suddenly, he felt it pierce his neck, and he watch the blood trickle down to his knees. His breath now came in short gasps, as he felt it reach down to his chest and seem to pull on something inside of him. He felt the tug, inside, and watched in horror as a glowing white ball was forcefully drawn out of him. 

            That's....me....he thought, my soul, what's it going to do with my soul?

            But his thoughts were slowing down, and his eyelids drifted lower.

            No, nonono, you can't have it! It's mine! Leave it alone! Give it BACK!! Suddenly, he reached his hand up and grabbed a hold of the soul, pulling it back.

            Mineminemine!! 

            The thing hissed and snarled, reaching its hand for the soul again. Finding a sudden freedom of movement, he batted the offending limb away, glaring now.

            "Mine..." he whispered, "You...can't....have....it..."

            The soul that he gripped, his soul, gave off a bright white light, driving the creature away and out of his sphere.

            He watched in wonder as the dark surroundings slowly faded away, as the creatures disappeared with disappointed cries, and looked at his soul.

            "I didn't know that one of darkness could have a light soul," he murmured, as it drifted back into him. 

            And then, he knew no more, as the peacefulness of a deep sleep settled upon him.

************************************************************************

            Naraku snarled as he watched the boy fight off his images.

            "So, plan A didn't work?" Kagura asked sarcastically. "You're going to have to try harder, my lord."

            He just turned and glared upon her, and then stalked away, muttering under his breath. "Demons like that aren't supposed to have pure souls! What is with this boy?!"

            She watched, silent, as he left, then turned to look at the now peacefully sleeping Daemon.

            What is with this boy indeed? Next, Naraku will probably try this boy's twin. I have a feeling he will not succeed, either. Of course, these two might have preferred their souls being taken away with so little pain. The alternative was much, much worse.......

            "Deep in thought, eh, Kagura?" came the jovial voice from behind her, and she whirled around and glowered at the smiling demon.

            "Kuro! What is with you?! Don't you know not to sneak up on people?!" she snarled.

            Kuro just smiled disarmingly at her, and motioned to the form slumped over his shoulder. "Special delivery for a Miss Kagura. To be brought to the dungeons."

            She looked at the fox kit that lay on his shoulder.

            "Bring him there. Also, I need one other thing for you to do."

            He mockingly bowed, and smirked. "Anything for my lady!"

            She rolled her eyes, "I need you to get a certain pendant from that miko--"

            "Say no more, Kuro is on the case!"

            "Just don't mess it up, okay?"

            "Why, do you not trust me?"

            "No, no I don't."

            "Ahh, the pain!!! You don't trust me!!"

            "Just get to work."

            He hopped past her, winking, "Of course! I'm on it!"

            She watched as he skipped down to the dungeons, and rolled her eyes once again.

            "Men....."

************************************************************************

            Trunks and Rose watched as the five companions bounded off, headed for their friend's house. Earlier on that day, it had been decided that they would part ways, and that the two lovers would travel in search of more jewel shards, while the others went on a rescue mission for their friends. 

            Rose strode along in content, listening to the birds chirping and the various sounds of nature, sighing happily. Trunks walked along beside her, matching her steady pace, and wore a similar look.

            "It's wonderful, isn't it, to be out of that dreadful prison?" she asked, cocking her head to the side and looking at him. He nodded silently, still deep in thought.

            "Trunks.....do you know how to find these 'jewel shards'?"

            He shook his head.

            Facefault.

            "WHAT?!"

            He stopped, and stared at her prone form on the ground. "The best we can hope to do is find a demon that has one."

            "And what are the odds of that, one in a million?!"

            "Actually....yes."

            "Urk, I've fallen and cannot get up!"

            He sighed and rolled his eyes, picking her up and carrying her in his arms bridal style.

            "Oh, how nice! My own slave!!"

            And then he dropped her and walked on.

            She pouted, glaring at his back.

            "FINE THEN!! Leave me here to die!" 

            He kept walking.

            She sweatdropped, and quickly got up and ran after him, but not before slapping him in the back of the head.

            "Jerk....." she muttered, and he grinned.

            "You know you love me."

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            *hides* Don't hurt me!! We're getting down to the thick of the plot, and so there isn't as much humor! Gomen!! Anyways, review and tell me what you think, onegai? Also, if any of you encounter words in here you don't understand, like some of the Japanese ones, feel free to tell me and I'll list what they mean, okay?


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